All Natural
by sparkleflower
Summary: AU. Rukia lives with her quiet older brother Byakuya and has been best friends with hot, popular guy Ichigo since forever. Orihime is the school's Princess. What could possibly happen next?
1. Chapter 1

**My first longer fanfic! I'm so excited. Read and review please and I will be eternally grateful! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach! If I did, IchiRuki would be a reality.  
**

Chapter 1

The shower was running. Byakuya was already up. The smell of his coffee steaming on the countertop in the kitchen, mixed with the soft scent of the shower water, made me blearily open my eyes.

Since he was in the shower- God only knows why he takes so long in the bathroom each morning- I had approximately twenty minutes to eat breakfast, find my clothes, and pack my bag for school before the shower would be available. I would have even longer if Byakuya decided today he needed to style his hair for some executive meeting at his firm.

A picture of my deceased sister Hisana was one of the first things that greeted me once I was fully awake. Her striking face, with its features so similar to mine, smiled at me. My brother had the same picture in his room- my older sister used to be, after all, his wife. Every morning, my routine was the same. I picked up the picture and hugged it to my chest softly, whispered, "Good morning Hisana", and set it back down next to my lamp.

Throwing my legs quickly over the side of my bed, I grabbed my bathrobe, not bothering to tie it, and headed to my full-length mirror. Inspecting my body, I saw a tiny girl with silky black shoulder-length hair, small, thin, toned legs, and slightly tan skin. My nonexistent chest was barely covered by my thin tank top, and my boy shorts had ridden up my legs during the night, showing my completely flat butt and tiny hips.

Oh well. At least I was thin, even if I had no figure.

Grabbing the my school uniform- a crisp button down, gray argyle sweater, and gray pleated skirt- out of my closet, I headed to the kitchen, inhaling the fresh scent of the coffee. On my way, Byakuya surprisingly stepped out into the hallway, steam from the shower curling around his body from the opened bathroom door. His immaculate white towel was wrapped around his waist, displaying his entire, intensely muscular, upper body. As long as I had known him, he had worked out at his gym at least 4 times a week, before or after work.

My brother showed off his abs to me for a minute before grabbing a tshirt he had draped over the door handle and swiftly pulling it on. Then he bent over and coughed so forcefully I was convinced his lungs were going to fly out his throat.

I stared, worried. Without even acknowledging his coughing, Byakuya said, "Rukia, shower's ready." He made sure to ruffle my hair as I stalked by him into the bathroom, a towel from the hall closet slung over my shoulder.

When I exited the bathroom fifteen minutes later, fully dressed and teeth brushed, I rushed to my makeup vanity and grabbed my mascara and chapstick. Carefully extending each individual eyelash, I applied the mascara and threw my chapstick into the front pocket if my backpack. Glancing at my clock, I swore loudly. I had ten minutes left to get out of the house and head to school, and I still needed to cook myself breakfast.

I was in luck this morning. Before he had left for work at his law firm, Yamamoto and Associates, Byakuya had cooked me a plate of eggs and had cut up some fresh strawberries from the night market. On the kitchen table in front of my placemat, he had left a note as well.

-Rukia

Sorry I had to leave so early this morning, and that I took so long in the shower. I hope my cooking makes up for it.P.S. Since I made you breakfast, you have a few extra minutes on your hands. I'm sure you won't mind unloading the dishwasher.

Love, Byakuya

Damn him. We both hate cleaning out the dishwasher every morning. He's always looking for an excuse to make me do it.

Grumbling slightly, I pulled the dishwasher open and began drying and stacking dishes. By the time I was finished, I was one minute late leaving. I snatched my backpack, drained a cup of water, and in thirty seconds had my flip flops securely on my feet and ready to go. Stepping into the hall and locking the apartment door securely, I raced down a flight of stairs to the back door.

To get to my high school, I had to take the subway. The private school I attended was on the other side of the city, in a quaint seaside district. However, although school didn't start for an hour, every day I left early to meet my best friend Ichigo Kurosaki at a breakfast cafe a few streets away from my house- Shinigami Cafe.

I rushed out the door into the parking space/alley behind the row of buildings my apartment was part of, and unlatched the iron gate which led to the street. Even though it was early in the morning, streets and cafes teemed with life. Businessmen and women and joggers and students all mingled together with the scent of fresh baked bread and coffee. Bells jangled as doors to breakfast placed opened and closed constantly, and as I jogged down the main street, coming to the peak of a small hill and balancing my backpack and my toast, I could distinctly see the huge Bank of Karakura building dominating the city skyline of the downtown area a few blocks south. A streetcar passed right by me, whistling softly over the tracks as people hung on to the side handles.

I slammed into the door of Shinigami, heard the bell attached to the door ding, and flew into the cafe breathless. This place is just off the main street, which is one of the reasons I like it. It's not overrun by other students or tourists because its a little out of the way, but it still is close to the subway station so we can get to school on time after we have hot chocolate.

Ichigo was sitting in the corner table overlooking the street through the main window of the cafe. His coffee was in one hand and he slowly lifted the mug to his full lips, leaving a coffee mustache behind on his face. He then bit into his crispy croissant and crumbs flew onto the plate on the table. I threw my bag on the empty chair across from him and walked up to the counter to place my order.

Girls always say Ichigo is so attractive and I'm so lucky to be able to hang around with him whenever I want. Honestly though, I've known him since we were in preschool together. His disgusting sense of humor and bad habits override any sense of hotness in his vibrant orange hair (it's natural), bright amber eyes, and 'I'm too cool for you' attitude.

Par example, his normal greeting to me is, "Yo Rukia. Make any money lately? No? I'm sorry to hear that. Those late night get togethers with every guy in our grade must not pay the bills! Too bad I'm not buying your breakfast!"

He teases me just enough to send me over the edge. Every time he says hi to me, I want to rip his head off. But then it all works out. Ichigo is honestly the best friend any person could have. He's funny and a hard worker when it matters. Plus, he's a nice guy in general. He just enjoys messing with me.

Even though we occupy different social spheres at school, we still hang out together. Ichigo isn't worried about ruining his popularity status by being my friend. Actually, I think he's more popular just because he can hang around with kids who aren't as popular as he is.

"Yo, Rukia. Make any money-"

"No. Shut up. I'm not interested in your mindless comments."

"Cold. Harsh. Mean. Cruel. Icy."

"Huh?"

"Synonyms for what you are. You can't just shoot down my joke like that and expect me not to retaliate."

"Wow. Remind me again why you pay so much money to go to private school. Your dad should send you to public school, 'cuz obviously you're not smart enough to have better insults."

"Hm." was his final comeback: basically, he didn't have anything left to say to me.

Looping an arm around my shoulders as he pulled his chair up next to me, he said, "You know Rukia, I need to start planning your seventeenth birthday party. You have any ideas? All I know right now is it's gonna be wild."

I groaned, remembering my disastrous sweet sixteen last year the Ichigo planned. It was wild alright- so many kids were passed out drunk or making so much noise with the insane DJ that the police were called to our apartment. Byakuya was out at dinner with some clients that night- he was not happy when he got a call from the police saying there were around 100 teenagers engaging in underage drinking at his house.

I'm not exactly sure how Ichigo can be such a good older brother to his younger twin sisters Karin and Yuzu. Around me, he's incredibly irresponsible, but with them, it's like he's a completely different person. Though Karin is more mature than quirky Yuzu, both of them refuse to see any bad side to Ichigo. They both adore him for reasons I can't understand.

I slapped Ichigo's arm around me, and he quickly withdrew it and changed the subject to last night's math homework. We threw out our trash, packed up our bags, and left the cafe.

The subway was crowded so early in the morning, and from every direction people were swiping their passes to get through turnstiles. The dirty smell of the train flowed into my nose, and the crowds of people rushing around almost separated me from Ichigo. I'm glad we lived in a non-crowded section of Karakura. Every morning in more populated districts of the city, 5,000 people are hopping onto the subway at the exact same time. If I lived there, I'd never be able to take the train. I'd end up walking to school. At least here, there are less that 5,000 people.

Swiping my subway card, I followed Ichigo to line 1, which headed in the direction of downtown. Of course, that happened to be the line everyone always gets on every morning. To get to school, we have to ride a few stops on line 1, then switch to line 5 and ride that line almost to the end. The trip takes a while, so usually Ichigo and I finish our homework in the morning on the train.

Since there were no open seats, Ichigo and I held onto the bar over our heads while the train lurched forward. I almost dropped my bag, but caught it just in time. As the train rounded a corner, I could dimly see my friend Momo Hinamori in the car ahead of us. She had gotten a seat and was bent over her math binder, pert nose rubbing the notes she was diligently studying. Her dark hair hung around her shoulders, curving in waves down to her chest. She lived a few streets away from me, closer to a few other kids in my grade. I had been close friends with her since she came to the school freshman year.

After 2 stops, Ichigo and I got out and transferred to line 5. As we were going towards the edge of the city and not towards downtown, we had the whole car almost to ourselves. The train slowly began to build up speed. Ichigo threw his bag down on the seat next to me and, weary from the walk between trains , sat down with a thud. I put my head on his shoulder gently and he put an arm around me. We sat for a minute while I closed my eyes.

I pulled away suddenly and grabbed my history reading out of my backpack. I had to read two more chapters for 3rd period. Ichigo groaned.

"I didn't finish that last night either. When you get done with the reading, will you tell me what happens? I'm too lazy right now to read it myself."

I didn't bother answering, just flipped another page and flipped him off. He should have already known my answer.  
_

5 stops later, we were at the subway stop closest to school. We jumped up and waited for the train doors to slide open with a soft click. Walking up the stairs to leave the station, I saw Momo, her hair now in a messy bun in the back of her head with a ribbon tied around it, exiting the next train that pulled in. Her boyfriend Toshiro Hitsuguya had grabbed her hand and yanked her gently through the subway doors, her bag hanging over his arm.

That's so cute. I can't believe he would actually offer to carry her girly bag for her.  
Ichigo leapt up the stairs, taking them two at a time. I could barely keep up with his long strides and even longer legs. By the time I reached the top, I was huffing and desperately sucking in air, while he was cool as a cucumber, nonchalantly waiting for my gasping breaths to subside. Once I had sufficiently breathed in enough air into my lungs, he turned me around, his hands on my shoulders, and pushed me in the direction of school.


	2. School on Fridays: The Bad and the Good

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. **

**Chapter 2: School on Fridays, the Bad and the Good**

Walking up to the gates of the school grounds, I walked straight into Izuru Kira. My face hit the center of his chest, and I stumbled backwards, blinking hard at the contact. My feet eventually lost contact with the ground as I struggled to regain my balance, and I landed right on my butt on the brick sidewalk. Izuru extended his hand gently to pull me up next to him. I ignored it and stood up myself.

I used to be good friends with Izuru, but he has asked me out so many times I can't think of any more ways to reject him. He's hot, I guess, with his floppy blond hair, piercing eyes, and perfectly angular face, but he began to stalk me after I rejected him for a tenth time. It's become a problem, his obsession, and it kind of freaks me out.

Lately, he's tried to patch our friendship back together and apologize, but I'm still scared of him and his stalking abilities. Somehow, Izuru managed to take a picture of me wearing nothing but a towel, and snapped another picture of just my underwear.

It's a problem that he's one of Ichigo's friends, so anything interesting I say in a conversation with Ichigo is automatically reported to Izuru. Looking my body up and down, almost undressing me with his eyes, Izuru stared at me for a few seconds before opening his mouth. "Hey there Rukia. You wanna go out after school today? I'm sure I could find a nice-" Ichigo had grabbed my arms at this point- I was already in the motion to swat Izuru for asking me out another time. I had warned him about a week earlier that if he asked me out again, I would get a restraining order put on him.

As Ichigo hauled me away from the scene before I could punch Izuru right in the mouth, we heard a tinkling laugh from a few feet away.

Shit.

Orihime Inoue was walking up the street near us, her beautiful auburn hair swinging behind her back, strands hanging around her face. Her uniform was just the right size, and accentuated all her curves and her tiny waist. Thin muscular legs poked out from the bottom of her skirt, and the radiant smile on her perfect face was making guys swoon. Except Ichigo. He's over her. Thank God.

Orihime had hooked up with Ichigo last year at- you guessed it!- my sixteenth birthday party. The most awkward moment of my life was when I went to find Ichigo so that he could help me send everyone home, and he was shoving his tongue down Orihime's throat on a couch in my living room. Byakuya was standing right behind me, having just gotten back to the apartment. He was not pleased either.

Needless to say, Byakuya continues to have a low opinion of Ichigo for ever "hooking up with a girl who looks like a stripper and acts like a crazy airhead". Byakuya's words, not mine.

Ichigo and Orihime apparently enjoyed their makeout session though, because they dated for another six months before Ichigo called it off. He told me later, "I'm so glad I ended our relationship when I did. Orihime's weirder than my dad and bitchier than Karin after she loses a baseball game." I had been jealous all throughout their relationship, mainly because Ichigo was spending less time with me and more time with her. I was, in a word, overjoyed that he broke up with her.

Unfortunately, Orihime is gorgeous, incredibly smart, charismatic, and has all the guys in our school dropping at her feet. All qualities that should make up the most popular girl. However, around me she turns into a complete bitch without any notice. For some reason, she hates me and, since we were in kindergarten, has spent any possible moment humiliating me.

In second grade, Orihime glued my pants to my chair, and they ripped when I stood up. A diabolical plan for an eight year old. The guys in my class never quite forgot the look on my face when I realized my underwear was exposed. In sixth grade, she bribed Shuhei Hisagi to paint my clothes with random stripes in art class. Since we started high school, I have been shoved against a wall, tripped, poked, slapped, and insulted, and Orihime has attempted to turn the rest of the grade against me as well.

It's alright though. Tatsuki Arisawa, one of Orihime's best friends and the most respected girl in our grade, can't understand why Orihime hates me so much. With a few words, she was able to convince the other kids in my grade not to bully me with Orihime. People always listen to Tatsuki, so Orihime is stuck bullying me by herself. Not that anyone is really willing to stand up for me though, and risk angering Orihime further.

Once, good person that she is, Tatsuki found me crying in the bathroom one day after Orihime had stolen my phone and broken it. She told me that Orihime has always loved Ichigo, and that she is jealous of how close I am to him. That doesn't exactly explain why she's hated me since kindergarten though. Personally, I just think she's a bitch who needs someone to hate in order to function.

About a month ago, Orihime had sent me a threatening text warning to stay away from Ichigo. She had sent a picture of Ichigo and me sitting side by side in a little cafe drinking hot chocolate, and had attached a caption: "This scene better not happen again". I had ignored the message, but had a sinking feeling that Orihime wasn't satisfied.

Even though I tell Ichigo everything, and he definitely knows what happens between Orihime and me, I never talk about being bullied. Talking about it to anyone, especially Ichigo, would only make the situation more real.

During the time he and Orihime were dating, the bullying lessened. I'm guessing he spoke to Orihime about hurting me, and she agreed to tone it down while they were together. She really liked him while they were dating, and probably just didn't want Ichigo to break up with her. After their relationship was over, the bullying got worse. It was almost as if Orihime was venting her anger over the breakup at me.

Skirting carefully around Orihime- I was mostly safe from her whenever Ichigo was around- he and I continued along our path until we met more groups of people pouring into the school grounds.

Ichigo branched off to walk into school with his guy friends Renji, Uryu, and Chad. Renji is a good friend of mine- Byakuya, being anally proper, hates the tribal tattoos Renji has plastered all over his body. Chad is huge and jacked, with curly brown hair and tan skin he shows off through his uniform. Uryu, a relatively normal, smart guy who wears hot glasses, has been dating Orihime for a few months now. Walking up to her briskly, he grabbed her face and made out with her for about a minute until people started coughing in embarrassment. I turned around and Toshiro kissing Momo's cheek before he headed to the group of guys too. Everywhere I looked these days, it seemed like there were couples.

I remembered suddenly the only boyfriend I'd ever had, Kaien Shiba. We were together for four months and two days before we decided we had nothing in common and needed to break up. I missed having a significant other in my life. The closest thing I had now was Ichigo, and he was like my brother and couldn't count as a boyfriend.

"At the moment Rukia," I heard Momo's voice say worriedly, "you look kinda spaced out. Are you sure you're alright? If you're not, I can get the nurse. No wait! If you're gonna faint, the best thing to do is lie down here and..."

I drowned her out. I love Momo. She's the only person I know who can go off on a rant about hair care products and then randomly switch to a normal conversation about a hot guy. She loves to talk and never shuts up. Anything from the weather to TV to the zoo, Momo will find some way to drag any random topic up in a conversation. On top of all that, she can be a huge worrywart, which explains her freaking out about me possibly fainting. I bet Toshiro gets an earful every day.

She's cute though, so no one really finds her excessive use of her vocal cords annoying. Her two dads Sosuke and Gin (Momo was adopted when she was about ten from foster care) think her talking is the cutest thing about her, especially as they don't talk themselves. They are perfectly content to let her blabber on all day while they, being crazily obsessed parents, film her with a video camera.

Soi Fon, our other best friend, interjected loudly, her braids dancing. "Momo, shut the fuck up! I can't hear myself think with you jabbering like some wild bird! Rukia is NOT sick and she is NOT, I repeat, NOT going to faint!"

That's Soi Fon for you. Blunt, loud, and expressive. She never holds back.

My three friends and I have often been mistaken for triplets, and I can see why. We look alike somewhat and act alike. We are all relatively small and have black hair of various lengths- Soi Fon's is long and luxurious, Momo's is wavy and rests on her chest, and mine is shoulder length. The similarities end there though. My eyes are huge and a strange violet-blue color, while Soi Fon's are smaller and set further apart. Momo's mouth is larger than mine and her lips are fuller.

Momo is also the prettiest of us three, and the one who gets the most guys. Toshiro, though she's more serious about him than she's been about any other guy, is boyfriend number sixteen. We joke and say she's had one boyfriend for every year she's been alive.

Tatsuki and Orihime's other best friend, Rangiku Matsumoto, ran up behind me to meet her as she stood on the sidewalk surrounded by admirers. Tatsuki waved and screamed, "Hey Rukia! Wassup?" before dashing after Rangiku, whose strawberry blond hair was floating in a cloud behind her.

Rangiku, if it was possible, was even curvier than Orihime. Her breasts, quite literally, were exploding out of her uniform. She knew how to use her curves and bright blue eyes to get anything she wanted, and no one could ever resist her. Right now, three guys were offering to do her math homework while a few other girls were practically throwing money at her so she could buy a coffee before school started. She was worshipped.

Tatsuki, on the other hand, was easily my favorite of the three girls. She was the brains and brawn of the group, and had beauty as well. The perfect combination and balance of qualities, Tatsuki knew how to keep the popularity order stable and how to manage both crazy Orihime and flirty Rangiku. Keeping the two of them in line with an iron fist and still managing to be the best at everything she did, Tatsuki unsurprisingly had been voted our student council president three years in a row.

She and Ichigo trained at the same dojo, and had been close friends since they were little. Her black pixie cut was held back by two cute barrettes, and her uniform was worn pristinely and flawlessly, accentuating her perfect skin.

Everyone referred to Tatsuki as 'the Shadow Queen' because of her ability to control the grade behind the scenes. Although Orihime may have appeared to be the Princess of the grade, we all knew Tatsuki was the brains of any operation the three girls pulled.

Orihime walked up to me. My brain went dead. "Oh shit." She shooed away any onlookers with a casual wave of her French manicured nails. Soi Fon turned to leave, but Momo pulled her elbow to keep her in place. "We're not going anywhere Orihime."

"Girls," Orihime had the most condescending look on her face, "I just need to talk to Rukia for a minute. Isn't that right Rukia?"

I smiled fakely at Momo and Soi Fon, gesturing with my eyes for them to leave me and keep moving towards the school buildings. Momo saw right through my smile, and sadly gave me one of her own, trying to inject me with some strength. Soi Fon shot a quick glare at Orihime before squeezing my hand gently as she walked away.

Orihime waited until everyone was out of earshot before pulling out her phone and showing me another picture. Clearly photoshopped, it showed me snuggling into Ichigo's chest, his shirt off. Vaguely, I wondered if she had ever used photoshop before editing this picture. It was so obviously fake that I nearly laughed, until I saw her expression.

She was angry. I could tell that much. Pushing me into the gate roughly, she whispered in my ear, "I thought I told you I didn't want to see you and Ichigo together anymore."

I looked her dead in the eyes and said, "If you're so stupid you can't even tell when a photo's been edited, you have no right to tell me to stay away from my BEST FRIEND."

Shaking slightly, her breath hitting the inside of my ear, she spoke again, her voice low and deadly. "Shut up bitch. We all know you're in love with Ichigo. Now stay away from him for good, or Momo and Soi Fon will have nasty rumors spread about them to every person in the school. You may not care if I insult you, but you sure as hell will care when I destroy your friends."

Smiling brightly, quite a change from her glare a few seconds before, she laughed prettily. "See you later Rukia! It was great talking to you!" Skipping, she dashed around the school gates to catch up with Tatsuki and Rangiku.

Shaken by Orihime's words, I stumbled into the main school building, preparing ourselves for another boring morning assembly. I refused to register her comments in my brain. "We all know you're in love with Ichigo." I slapped my head lightly, trying to chase the idea out. _Don't think about it. Wait until you get home to think and plan._

"At least it's Friday," I thought to myself, "I can lounge at home the entire weekend and do absolutely nothing." After today's experience and last weekend, when Ichigo dragged me around the entire city following his sister Karin and her friends to make sure she didn't get into any trouble, I was perfectly ready for a no-moving weekend.

Apparently, last Saturday Karin (who is gloomy and slightly punk) had planned an outing with some of her friends to go to an arcade and to lunch. Overprotective Isshin Kurosaki, Ichigo's father, somehow managed to convince Ichigo that "going to an arcade" was teen lingo for smoking pot. Since Karin is only thirteen, I don't know why Ichigo or his father could ever think Karin would gain access to drugs.

In any case, Ichigo forbid me from going on my Saturday early morning jog, and instead forced me to meet him at his house right before Karin left. We stalked his sister and her friends for five hours and moved across most of the city, watching Karin actually go to an arcade and whip her friends' asses at Call of Duty.

Eventually, Karin noticed Ichigo's bright hair peeking out from the tree we were currently hiding behind. To make a long story short, she nailed him with a perfect punch right to the face, and then kicked him in the gut before he could even blink an eye. I took that as my cue to leave and go home for the rest of the day.

Assembly. Teachers lecturing us in class. A few hours of darting into classrooms, wanting to avoid Orihime in the hallway. The first few periods of the day rolled by leisurely until, finally, it was lunchtime. Angry that, on top of everything else, I had failed a pop quiz on the history reading assignment I had never finished on the subway, I stalked over to my usual lunch table and hurled my backpack down carelessly to mark my seat.

Momo softly sat next to me and, caressing a shiny red apple lightly with her teeth, bit down into it. Her lip gloss smeared over the apple skin in the shape of her lips.

"You know Rukia, you've been a little angrier than usual these past few days."

"How so?"

Ignoring my question, she asked, "Did something happen I should know about?" Expecting an answer, her eyes widened and and begged me to give her details. At all costs, I wanted to keep my the details of my encounter with Orihime this morning from her.

Last year, Momo found Orihime insulting me in the hallway, and grabbed her arm when Orihime went to slap me. Because Momo interfered with the fight, Orihime spread so many nasty rumors about Momo's sexuality over the internet that she nearly left the school. I never want Momo to have to go through that experience again, so I try to tone down anything major that happens with Orihime. Momo probably still sees everything that Orihime does to me, but if I don't tell her myself, I can at least try to convince myself that Momo has no idea.

"I've been so tired lately- schoolwork is catching up with me. Plus, in a few days it's Hisana's birthday. You know I always break down about this time of year."

Every year on Hisana's birthday, Byakuya and I head down to the cemetery and have a picnic in front of her grave. Nothing fancy, just some sandwiches and lemonade. We think, wherever Hisana is now, she's happy to see us at her grave every year helping her celebrate her birthday. It's a little tradition we picked up from the Kurosaki family.

Ichigo and his family, on the anniversary of his mom's death, have a family outing to her grave. The day we buried Hisana's body, Ichigo and his family came along and brought lunch. At first, Byakuya was concerned about disrespecting the dead, but the Kurosakis convinced him- and me- that our dead family members would want to see us smiling and having fun. And if we could have fun around their graves, it's like the dead person is still part of the family.

This year, Byakuya and I had already planned our meal. Three courses- fruit salad, tuna melts, and strawberry cheesecake. He had bought the ingredients yesterday, and the day before the picnic the two of us would spend hours in the kitchen, laughing over my inability to cook.

As soon as the bell rang and I was released from my prison of a classroom, my phone started playing a random mixed tape of songs I had recently downloaded. From the caller ID, I knew it was my brother.

"Hey Byakuya. Did you need something?"

"No Rukia. I just wanted to let you know that I have a quick doctor's appointment today after work, so I won't be home until late. You can order take out for dinner- just remember to save me some." A small laugh ran at the end of his voice.

"Can I order from Shelly's?" I asked, naming the cozy diner Byakuya usually took me to for the best chicken wraps in the world.

"Don't go overboard. You have a budget."

"Sounds great!" I chirped, now excited for dinner and the prospect of at least ending my day well. "Thanks a bunch Byakuya! See you when you get home!"

I heard him laugh again on the other end right before he hung up.

Once I called Ichigo and told him that I didn't have to be home until later, I insisted on taking him out for an afterschool snack. Finding him talking with Chad at the subway entrance, I grabbed his arm and dragged him, colorful curses flying from his mouth as his feet hit the rough staircase, towards the train.

"Rukia. What the fuck is with you today? STOP FUCKING DRAGGING ME AROUND. I was busy."

"YOU KNOW WHAT ASSHOLE?" I yelled at him, "I HAD A REALLY CRAPPY DAY TODAY AND ALL I NEED IS YOU SWEARING AT ME! I JUST THOUGHT IT WOULD BE NICE TO TAKE YOU OUT FOR ONCE!"

Just a normal interaction between us. _In love with Ichigo...in love with Ichigo._ Now that I was alone with him, I allowed my mind to dwell on the thought a little. _Were our fights full of sexual tension?_ I had never thought so before. _When I looked at him, did I get butterflies in my stomach?_ No, not usually. _Was I jealous of his relationships at all?_ Only when he was with Orihime. _I didn't think I liked him. Did I__?_ Now I was just making myself more confused.

Staring at him more closely now, I noticed how his hair fell in front of his eyes, obscuring his vision. Apparently, I leaned in too close to see his eyes, because next thing I knew Ichigo' hand was waving in front of my face, trying to keep me from spacing out.

Off the train and walking down the street of our district, surrounded by small apartment buildings and cozy restaurants, Ichigo snatched my hand from my right pocket and pulled me in front of an ice cream stand. _He's holding my hand. Does that mean he likes me? Wait, that's what he always does._

Three minutes later, we were happily slurping on cones of two scoops of cookie dough with sprinkles.

Sitting next to each other on a park bench, my right shoulder leaning against Ichigo's chest and his arm wound across my back, his hand massaging my left arm softly, I felt content. I stopped deciding whether I liked him or not. The sky was still light, I was eating ice cream, and I was warm with Ichigo's heat. I didn't feel the need to talk about anything, even though the problem with Orihime was dwelling in the back of my mind.

No problems, no conflicts. Not when he's with me.


	3. Thoughts and Bike Rides on Saturdays

**This part with Byakuya may get kinda gross...I'm sorry. I needed to explain his condition. Read on!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.**

**Chapter 3: Thoughts and Bike Rides on Saturday Mornings**

In my dream Ichigo and I were boating in a lagoon. Strands of weeping willows hung around our canoe, falling onto the oars the boatman was rowing with. Tatsuki (dressed in a male suit) was there for some reason, and she was serving us dinner, balancing on the prow of the boat with a waiter's tray in her hand. Ichigo fed me bits of spaghetti off his fork; I opened my mouth wide and smiled widely at him after each bite.

The dream ended when I said shyly to Ichigo (Tatsuki had suddenly disappeared), "Thanks for the date. I had fun." Reaching across my lap, picking up my left hand, and intertwining his fingers with mine, Ichigo looked me dead in the eyes and said, "This was the best date I have ever had. Want to make it even better?"

My eyes shot open just as Ichigo leaned in to kiss me. My mouth tingled.

_I'm home. Not in a lagoon with Ichigo._ I couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed for some reason.

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted when Byakuya broke into a loud coughing fit in the next room over. I heard him roll over in bed, coughing so hard he could barely breathe, and stagger into the bathroom for a glass of water. The sink ran loudly, and suddenly I heard a loud thump.

Throwing off my sheets, I rushed into the bathroom. Byakuya was bent over the sink, his face pale. He had just coughed up a ball of green mucus into the sink, and his coughs told me more was coming up his throat.

Ever since I was four years old, I had lived with my sister, seventeen years my senior, and her husband. My parents had died, and Hisana had married Byakuya when she was just nineteen. They took me in, decorated a room in their apartment, and ordered a queen sized four-poster bed and a desk.

Hisana and Byakuya became my parents. They tucked me in at night, scared away any monsters in my closet, and kissed my forehead. On nights when I couldn't sleep, I would go to their bedroom, and slide myself in between the two of them, their heartbeatts lulling me away. Hisana used to sing to me softly, her pure voice low so she wouldn't wake her tired husband. I still can't remember my parent's faces or how they acted towards me- it seemed like Hisana and Byakuya had always taken care of me.

The first time I saw Byakuya, I remember I was scared. He seemed so serious and harsh compared to soft, fun-loving Hisana. But underneath that harsh exterior, I realized within a few weeks, was a total softie. Byakuya loved Hisana so much that he was willing to do anything for her. That kind of love supported their entire marriage and their guardianship of me.

I was so happy with them. My sister was beautiful and funny and sweet and had skin like silk when she rubbed her cheek against my face. Byakuya would pick me up and swing me around screaming in delight when the three of us took our weekly walk around the neighborhood park. Sometimes, my sister claimed that I was really her daughter if people asked.

Byakuya, every morning, without fail, would kiss Hisana on the cheek and ruffle my hair before leaving for work. Hisana would ride with me on the subway to school, drop me off at the front gates, and continue on to her architecture firm's office. That's what Hisana was- an architect. She was always focused on expanding the world and creating her own designs.

After Hisana passed three years ago with a seemingly insignificant bout of influenza, I struggled. So did Byakuya. The doctors at the hospital hadn't helped. At the beginning they kept saying, "Oh, she'll pull through, don't worry" or "This is just a mild case of the flu, easily cured".

Every doctor we spoke to continued to deny that she was truly sick and that they had no definite way to cure her. When she died quietly and without warning in her sleep, Byakuya yelled at her doctors for hours for not realizing that she was dying in their care. The doctors said they were sorry, but she was dead now. There was no way to bring my sister back.

We went through phases where we couldn't talk to each other, for fear that we would both lose control and cry shamelessly. Byakuya hated his tears more than anything else. I know that my face reminded Byakuya too much of his dead wife's, and there were times he would not even look at me.

One night, he cooked me dinner for the first time in months. We sat at the dinner table together in silence, each of us contemplating how to start a conversation. I remember my mouth watering as I stared down at my dish of shrimp and salmon. As we continued not to speak, I got discouraged, but then I noticed Byakuya sending me little glances every few seconds. I realized the meal was his way of apologizing for ignoring me the past few months while he grieved.

We pulled through together. He told me that we needed to heal from the pain of losing Hisana together- trying to deal alone only multiplied the pain. That's why always I need to watch out for Byakuya and look after him. No matter how tough he acts, he is really quite fragile. Even if he gets sick, he will push himself to his limits and accept more pain than he deserves.

As Byakuya continued to throw up the mucus and hack away, I held his shoulder-length hair away from his mouth. Once the coughs had stopped racking his body, he gently touched my hand, face still bent over the sink. His mouth barely moving, he whispered, "You can leave. I'll be fine. I know you're tired." I had chosen that moment to yawn loudly. Trying to hide the bags under my eyes and my yawns, I attempted to shake my head and tighten my grip on his hair. Byakuya pushed me away again.

He really wanted to be alone. Getting up from my slightly crouched position, I heard my knees creak. As soft as I could, I shut the bathroom door and left Byakuya huddled over the sink.

I looked out the window once I was back tucked into bed. The sky was just beginning to lighten, soft rays of pink and yellow barely brushing the tops of buildings. Setting my alarm for 6:00, I rolled over, hugged my pillow around my head, and fell back asleep. My last conscious thought was, "I hope Byakuya gets to bed okay."

At 6:00, after a dreamless nap, my alarm sounded off, blaring directly into my ear. I shot up like a cannon, staring wildly straight ahead until my pulse slowed. I slowly reclined back down to rest on the pillows, my spine arching until I found a comfortable position. Reaching for my cell phone, I saw the screen flashing with a text from Ichigo.

"Don't forget- beach today. Come to my house at noon to help pack the picnic basket."

Shit. I totally forgot.

Every weekend since Ichigo and I decided we were best friends (when we were six), I have gone out with his family on what they refer to as "bonding experiences". When the weather is hot, we go to the beach or to the park. When it's cold, I bundle up and brave the chilly air and piles of snow to meet the Kurosakis at their apartment. Even when we play board games and drink hot chocolate inside, every activity always turns into a snowball fight: Ichigo and Rukia vs. Isshin, Karin, and Yuzu. Ichigo and I usually win, mostly because Isshin gets distracted by shiny objects and can be defeated easily, and Yuzu refuses to play due to her views of snowball fighting as a form of violence.

Once we took a break from tradition and went ice skating. Somehow Ichigo's father managed to turn a fun activity like ice skating into a traumatic experience. First he crashed into me, causing me to flop on the ice right on top of Ichigo. Next, he tangled his skates with an angry Karin, and we spent the next twenty minutes trying to separate Isshin from Karin's deadly fists. Ichigo and I stood off to the side at that point, completely dazed and wondering why we decided to come in the first place.

6:18. I remembered why I had woken up so early in the first place. I quickly threw on some shorts and a t-shirt, stole into the living room, and grabbed some fruit.

Taking a quick peek in the thin opened crack of Byakuya's bedroom door, I poked my head in. He was fast asleep under the covers, and his breathing was a little ragged but much steadier than it had been a few hours before. Good.

Using a little magnet, I attached a note to the fridge explaining where I was going. Hopefully Byakuya would read it before he started freaking out thinking I was kidnapped.

Unlocking the back door into the alley, I found my old bike leaning delicately against some trash cans. I swung my legs around the seat and, feeling my feet hit the pedals, pumped furiously out of the alley until I hit the street.

Biking early in the morning lets me think. I'm by myself, no distractions except for the crisp morning air and the movement of a few shopkeepers eager to start the weekend sales. Plus, the rush of adrenaline biking gives me is better than any high.  
I pedaled hard, energy shooting through me. A few beads of sweat had already begun to drip carelessly down my face. My muscles had begun to ache already. But it felt so good. The harder I work to move the bike, the better I always feel. It's like a strange sense of accomplishment.

Biking is my remembrance. I can reach as many memories around the city as I want in a short period of time. Stop somewhere, and recall some moment or conversation I had with anyone. The lamppost on the corner of my street. The door of the ice cream shop off the sidewalk a few buildings over. The bench outside of what was Hisana's favorite store. Every little thing represented a small fragment of my life.

I could fly by the world in muted colors and sounds. Every building, tree, and car blended together until I felt like I was trapped in a merry-go-round. I couldn't escape and yet I felt so peaceful. _Watching the world run by is strangely nice. _

Then my bike hit a rock and I flew through the air, arms flailing wildly, landing in the middle of the sidewalk. Wow. Smooth. The few people that were out this early stared, some openly laughing as they set down crates or bags they were carrying. The look on my face must have been hysterical. Looking down at my body, I saw a few small cuts on my knees and scrapes on my hands. Nothing major wounded except my pride. I dusted myself off with as much dignity as I could muster, and hobbled off the scene with my bike in tow.

Hearing a guy snickering behind me as I stalked away, I whirled around. "ICHIGO!" _Of course it's him; I could recognize that laugh anywhere. _He kept laughing after I yelled at him. By this point, he was clutching his stomach, nearly doubled over on the ground, screaming with laughter at the pissed-off expression on my face. When he had sufficiently recovered from his laughing fit enough to stand up straight, he said, "Nice fall. I should have caught that on video."

"If you had," I replied, my temper already rising with the blush on my face- _wait why was I blushing?_- "I would have burnt the damn camera."

"Rukia. Look at me."

Obeying his order, and scared at how serious his tone suddenly was, I allowed myself a glance at his face. But of course, once I had looked once, I was hooked. The sunlight streamed behind his head, making his hair appear on fire. His intense amber eyes were lit up with emotions I couldn't read, and the small sliver his mouth was set into made me shiver.

Why was I thinking he was so goddamn sexy? Before Orihime commented that she knew I liked him, I had never really though about Ichigo this way. Sure, I had thought he was hot for a while, and might have had one dream about jumping him, but that was it. I honestly had never given his attractiveness too much thought, but as I stared at his gorgeous face, it was all I could think about. Until his next words.

"Orihime talked to me about you."

**Sorry this chapter was shorter and kind of a filler! I thought I should explain more about Hisana cuz I hadn't yet. Please stay tuned for the next chapter (which will have more action, I promise)! **


	4. Beaches and Phone Calls

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. I don't know why I have to keep saying this... We all know I don't own Bleach. :) **

**Chapter 4: Beaches and Phone Calls**

Tiny red polka dot bikini?- Check.  
Cute sundress?- Check.  
Sunscreen?- Check.  
Magazines?- Check.  
Phone?- Check.

"I'm leaving for Ichigo's!" I called to no one.

Byakuya was out at an early lunch with clients. Even though it was Saturday. I tried not to be disappointed that lately he was working more hours and spending less time home. And he was obviously sick on top of it all. Couldn't he be normal for once and stay home when he was sick?

As I left the apartment to the sound of car horns and the smell of exhaust, I also tried to avoid thinking about Ichigo and my earlier conversation.

_"Orihime talked to me about you."_

_I tried to act innocent, like I had no idea what he was talking about. "About what?"_

_"Rukia, you know damn well what she talked to me about. I know that she showed you a picture of us. She sent it to me."_

_Oh, shit. _

_He continued. "Stop avoiding this! The problem between you and Orihime is only going to get worse unless you do something to fix it! She hates your guts- even I know that! What did you do to her in the first place?"_

_I stared at him, dumbfounded by that point and giving in to sarcasm. "So the fact the she bullies me is my problem, isn't it? It's cause I did something to her first, right?" _

_"No! That's not what I-"_

_I was angrier than I'd ever been with Ichigo. He didn't care if Orihime hated me. He was choosing her because she was hot and popular, and was blaming everything on me. "But that is what you meant Ichigo! Don't even try to lie! If you want to take her side, fine. Just leave your best friend behind for some slut. I love how you've never defended me against her. I can't believe you even dated her!" Tears begun to well behind my eyes. "Dated the girl who bullies me on a daily basis! Have you never cared what a bitch she is to me? Do the ten years we've been best friends mean absolutely nothing to you?"_

_His face was completely shocked at my outburst. I couldn't help but notice that his hair kept sparkling in the early sunshine and his flawless skin gleamed. He looked hotter than ever as his gaze bored into mine. _

_Damn it! Why could I, in the midst of a crucial moment when I was furious at him, still be concentrating on how attractive he was? His eyes, however...they looked sad. And scared._

_At that point, I turned my back on him and wheeled my bike down the closest side street. Once I was out of Ichigo's line of sight, I started running as fast as I could before I burst into tears._

I sighed and stared across the street absentmindedly. To be honest, I had no idea why I was still going to the beach with Ichigo and his family. Our fight had happened only a few hours before, and my words were still fresh in my mind.

_I went a little overboard. I admit it._ Wow, some best friend I am. Even if he did insult me, I didn't even really give him a chance to talk. And I was going to be really embarrassed when his father kept pestering us about what had happened. _To go or not to go? _

If I decided not to go to the beach with the Kurosakis today, I could stay home and think of a logical way to apologize to Ichigo for my overall bitchiness. If I went, I would not only be forced to apologize without having time to worry too much, but I would also get to see a hot guy in nothing but a pair of board shorts. Pursing my lips and blowing a lock of hair out of my eyes, I took a step forward into the crosswalk.

Ichigo's house, here I come.

Clearly, the chance to see Ichigo in all his bare-chested glory was too much to pass up.

As soon as my finger touched the doorbell, before it even had the chance to ring, Yuzu was throwing the door to the Kurosaki's house open. Hurling her arms around me excitedly, she screamed, "Rukia! You're early!" Pink-faced she carefully untangled her limbs from mine to show off her new beach attire and hopped up and down happily, shifting her weight between her feet.

"Do you like it Rukia?" She twirled once to show off her flowy beach dress. "Ichigo though the dress was too short and the bikini much too revealing but Karin yelled at him so I got to buy it anyway!" Yuzu was still bouncing. "So do you like it? I love it! It took me forever in the store to find the color suit I wanted- it's this pretty turquoise, see?" She yanked down the strap of her dress so I could see the top of her suit. "Ichigo was driving and he and Karin nearly left me behind in the store because I was taking so long..."

My head was already spinning. Yuzu's long, one-sided conversations generally have that effect on me. I rested my head in my hands and slumped against the door.

"And then the lady in the store told me they might have another suit I might like in the back..."

Dear God, she was still talking.

Karin usually rescues me from Yuzu's overenthusiastic greetings. Where was she when I needed her? Karin is incredibly down to earth, logical, and slightly scary. She is also the only person in the family who can stop Yuzu's ranting.

"Yo Yuzu, you're killing Rukia." By this point, I had sank down the door to sit on the floor. Hearing the new voice, I perked up. Thank God Karin finally showed up to rescue me. I relaxed slightly and pressed my hands against the door as I pulled myself up. Then I stopped short in panic.

That wasn't Karin's voice. The voice was male.

So by process of elimination, the voice could either belong to Ichigo or his father. While neither of those options were appealing, I prayed that it was Ichigo's father. Isshin Kurosaki may have been one of the most annoying, childish, and overall freaky men alive, but right not he would be easier to deal with. I was not in the mood to face Ichigo yet and apologize, not after my brains had nearly fried from Yuzu's incessant talking.

But wait.. Isshin Kurosaki would probably never say 'Yo'. Though with him, you really never can know what he'll do.

Fearing the worst, I looked up from the ground straight into Ichigo's face. My brain immediately went into overdrive.

_Shit. What do I say? Do I apologize? No, not in front of Yuzu. She''ll think something really bad happened between me and Ichigo and start freaking about. So do I just act like nothing happened? But that will seem really weird to Ichigo, especially after I screamed at him and was a total bitch just this morning. What do I do? Both options are equally bad! _

I continued zoning out and panicking until I noticed Ichigo's face directly in front of mine. Pulling my head back in surprise as fast as I could to move a little further away, I found I was trapped in between Ichigo and the door. Having lost my support from leaning on the door, I fell back onto the ground and sat staring stupidly in every direction except for at Ichigo.

Refusing to look at him. Staring at the ground in panic and embarrassment. _What was I doing? This isn't like me. Why am I acting this way?_ Still being a bitch, unable to apologize for being too harsh on my best friend._ I got mad at him and blew the whole thing out of proportion. He's been my friend since forever, and I know how much he cares about me- more than that dumb bitch Orihime anyway._

Still couldn't even lift my head to meet his eyes. _I shouldn't be embarrassed to apologize! I'm freaking Rukia Kuchiki! And he's just Ichigo Kurosaki! Steel yourself and just do it, because Ichigo probably feels pretty awkward right now!_

I mustered up enough courage to look at his face. His blazing eyes were drawn with concern lines, and his face was squinting to get a closer look at me. Even with his hilarious expression at the moment, I still found myself drawn to his perfectly molded face, which, as he looked at me again, was strangely...forgiving.

Yuzu for once was at a loss for words when she noticed us staring at each other. _That's awkward...she's watched our whole exchange so far._ "Well then," she squeaked, "I'll just leave then and start packing the lunch for the beach..."

She darted out the door faster than I thought possible. I saw her hand run across the corner of the doorway before disappearing into the kitchen. That left Ichigo and me alone.

I felt calmer now that I had looked at him straight on. His face...something in it soothed me and made me feel a little better. He was injecting me with some kind of confidence, and I knew I could apologize to him. It was stupid, I realized, that I couldn't just tell him before, "I'm sorry." _I should be a better person._

Ichigo didn't even let me speak. The second I opened my mouth, he cut me off. "I'm sorry. I was wrong, and I insinuated things about you and Orihime I had no right to. I shouldn't have said anything I did, and I'm so sorry."

How could he just apologize so quickly? I was the one who yelled at him, yet he was such a good person and apologized to me even though he wasn't at fault.

He kept going. "I'm sorry I wasn't a good friend and couldn't be there for you when you needed me most. I know you're a strong, independent person, and I thought you would kill me if I interfered with your Orihime problem. I know you too well, and I wanted to let you sort out the problem before I talked to her. But I was so completely wrong and I should have helped you more. Can you forgive me?"

How can someone be such a good, kind person? Caught up in my thoughts, I swallowed a lump in my throat and just nodded back to him. That was enough. It was Ichigo; he knew me better than anyone. He knew what I wanted to say and exactly why I couldn't say it.

I had changed into my bikini, thrown my coverup over it, and had packed the picnic basket with Yuzu (Karin and Isshin were mysteriously absent while we worked). Ichigo balanced himself on the kitchen counter, his intense eyes fixed on the two of us as we made sandwiches and shoved fruit in a cooler.

Humming a song softly to myself as I grabbed plastic cups and a bottle of soda from the fridge, I felt Ichigo come up behind me and balance one of his hands lightly on my hip bone. A spark shot through my body at the sudden contact, and I felt my hands starting to sweat as my head heated up. Trying to move so that Ichigo couldn't see my reddening face, I averted my eyes and slid around Ichigo's pressing body holding the bottle of soda in my right hand.

Surprised, he moved out of my way and let me pass without commenting on how 'hot and bothered' I had just gotten. As I passed by him, I could feel his eyes on the revealing straps of my bikini before I hiked up my dress to preserve some of my dignity. Or maybe I was just flattering myself.

I couldn't figure out what he was doing. Was he just trying to play with me, by touching me? He was a hot teenage guy, after all. Guys like him amuse themselves by playing with girls like me.

Either that or he was trying to comfort me, saying that it was all right I was too choked up to form the words, "I'm sorry". But the first option was more likely in my opinion.

Once we had loaded our gear and our bodies into the tiny Kurosaki family car (Ichigo's car was much bigger, and I had no idea why we couldn't just drive that one instead), the five of us headed off to our special beach outside of Karakura. I was seated in the backseat, wedged between Yuzu and Ichigo, as Karin had claimed shotgun before we had even gotten out the door of the house.

Ichigo adjusted himself so he was leaning against my chest comfortably. Resting his head on my inner shoulder, he threw an arm lazily across my lap and closed his eyes.

I waited until he was resting before I began to pull my hands through his orange hair, reveling in how soft it felt. Being like this with him felt so nice, just like when we were little. I heard him hum in appreciation, and I stroked his hair from his forehead to his neck. Reaching up without opening his eyes, he caught my hand and pulled it down to lay flat in his chest. He covered my hand with his and relaxed again.

We sat linked together silently until the car pulled up into the beach parking lot. I didn't want to move.

Karin nudged me, holding the cooler in her farther hand. "I hate to interrupt your Ichigo time, but I want to go swimming and we can't leave until you and lover boy get out of the car so we can lock up."

Isshin poked his head around from the trunk of the car. "NO KARIN! Leave our darling son with his beautiful Rukia! I'm sure they are having a nice fuzzy moment right now that we are just interrupting and we should leave them in the car so they can make-"

Ichigo thrust his fist straight into his father's nose. Howling, Isshin sat down on the tar of the parking lot outside the car and sobbed into his hands. I caught something about a "ungrateful son" and "just trying to spice up your love life".

I ignored Isshin as usual and hopped out of the car over a livid Ichigo. As usual, it was my job to carry the stack of towels, which, with the sheer number of towels everyone seemed to need, became far too heavy for me to carry. EVERY TIME we go to the beach, I'm stuck with towel duty. No Kurosaki cares that the stack is as tall as I am.

With her free hand, Yuzu grabbed my wrists, which were currently bending under the towel stack, and dragged me as fast as was humanly possible towards the salty scent of the water. We threw our flip flops off to the side (I tossed the towels to the side, not caring where they ended up) and dug our toes gratefully into the warm, soft sand.

Karin threw herself onto the ground and made a sand angel. It was the first time today I had seen her so excited. Her rare smile graced her face until...

"WE'RE AT THE BEACH, WE'RE AT THE BEACH! IT'S OUR OWN PRIIIVVVVVAAATTTEEEE BEAAACHHH! SING WITH ME YUZU!"

""WE'RE AT THE BEACH, WE'RE AT THE BEACH! IT'S OUR OWN PRIIIVVVVVAAATTTEEEE BEAAACHHH!" Yuzu and Isshin sang in a completely clashing harmony that forced me to cover my ears. Karin had stopped smiling, and had fixed her demonic glare on her father and sister howling at the tops of their lungs.

"SHUT UP! DOES EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAVE TO BE LOUD AND ANNOYING?"

Not too kindly, Yuzu pointed out, "Well, you're loud and annoying too, but we don't usually punish you for it." She and Isshin stuck their tongues out at Karin, who glared fiercely back until the crazy duo had wandered away down the beach.

At least no one else was around to hear them. This beach was one that the Kurosakis had discovered- a little cove that no one else knew about. The water sparkled, the sun shone, and Ichigo had taken off his shirt.

Oh my god. Ichigo had taken off his shirt. I nearly hyperventilated.

_Don't look, don't look, don't look_, I chanted in my head. _If you look now, you'll melt from his hot body. And that would be really embarrassing_.

"Rukia? Are you ok? You wanna go in the water now?"

I swallowed slightly, careful not to look at Ichigo's body, and nodded my head.

Pulling my dress over my head, I was left standing in just my bikini (which was pretty cute and took me a while to find). To my dismay, Ichigo didn't say anything about my suit; he just grabbed my outstretched hand and pulled me into the waves.

We spent the rest of the day swimming and jumping and building a family sandcastle, and I spent more time than not avoiding looking at Ichigo's solid abs. At times, I was incredibly tempted, but I figured that being embarrassed or melting from the sight of his gorgeous body would not be incredibly attractive.

Ichigo kept swimming underwater to grab my foot whenever I least expected it, and would pop up with a huge grin on his face when I screamed. We ran along the coastline with Yuzu (Karin was busy fanning herself under an umbrella to avoid burning) and jumped around the incoming waves. Isshin was overenthusiastic about deciding who would live in our monstrous sandcastle- a dragon or a unicorn. I've learned not to ask why Isshin thinks the way he does.

Exhausted and happy, we wandered back to the car just as the sun was about to set. Another great Saturday Kurosaki family trip.

Ichigo had his arm around me the entire way home.

I got a call on the way home. It was Byakuya.

Answering the phone with a cheery "Hello, big brother!", all I got in return was a hacking cough and a shuddering breath.

I tried again. "Um, hello? Byakuya, are you there?"

His voice was raspy and weak. "Hi Rukia, I just wanted to let you know that I'm not going to be coming home tonight. I'm in the hospital." Here he degenerated into a long coughing fit.

Another voice came on the line. "Hi Ms. Kuchiki. It's Dr. Huang."

Dr. Huang was my brother's primary care physician. I'd met him a few times before. He also worked at the Karakura Hospital.

He continued on. "Your brother came in yesterday for his yearly physical. He was coughing a lot but claimed to be fine, so I sent him home afterwards. However, I told him to call me or come to the hospital if his coughing got worse. He came in this afternoon, and he'll need to stay here for as few days to recover."

I found my voice. "Is it serious?"

"Nothing we can't handle. He has a small, mild case of pneumonia. It's not clear how he got it yet, but after a few days of rest and medicine in the hospital he should be free to go. It's honestly nothing to worry about at all."

"Well then, could I speak to Byakuya for a minute?"

Byakuya's rasping cough came back over the line. "Night, sis. While I'm trapped in here, you can stay home by yourself or go stay with the Kurosaki's. I bet they won't mind. If you stay home"- cough cough choking sounds from Byakuya for a minute- "there's enough food in the fridge for the next week. Take care. You can come visit me if you want."

"You'll need something to relieve your boredom. Of course I'll visit you. Can I come tomorrow?"

"Sure."  
_

Thanks for everyone who has read/reviewed/added this story to favorites/subscribed! You guys rock!


	5. Advice and Seniors

**Disclaimer: You all know it by now. I don't own Bleach. Yada Yada Yada.**

**Chapter 5**

The next morning, I shot out of bed bright and early to hit the hospital. Byakuya was an early riser, so I assumed by this time he should be completely awake. Throwing on the nearest clothes to me- a pair of jean shorts and a ratty t-shirt- I flew down the hallway into the kitchen. In the space of about 30 seconds, I grabbed a bagel, threw some cream cheese on it, and snatched my house keys from the hook next to the door.

Go. Go. Go. Get on the subway. Get off the subway. See Byakuya. A random lady was sitting across from me on the subway and decided she was allowed to stare at me and periodically sigh about the dangers of youths. By the time she got off the train three stops later, I was thoroughly scared.

The hospital was already open, even though it was so early. The coffee shop next door was buzzing with people, but the smell of coffee and doughnuts wafted into my nose. I pushed open the door, figuring I might as well bring Byakuya a breakfast that wasn't hospital crap.

Carrying a bag of freshly baked cinnamon doughnuts and a decaf coffee, black, I walked up to the receptionist desk and asked what room Byakuya Kuchiki was in. A nurse directed me to his room only after I had signed in to three different visitor identification sheets. Then I had to show a valid ID- good thing I had brought my school ID card with me- to every nurse I passed in the hallway.

Wow. It takes a lot to get into a hospital room nowadays.

Byakuya was sitting up in bed looking absolutely miserable when I came in. He was attached to a strange machine that beeped every time he breathed. He was wearing one of those awful hospital gowns that really didn't suit a guy who wore a suit every second of his life. He also probably hadn't eaten anything since yesterday- hospital food, as a general rule, did not appeal to Byakuya Kuchiki.

So, understandably, he almost hyperventilated when I showed him the warm doughnuts I had bought for his breakfast. Grasping my hands around wires from the machines surrounding him, he gasped out, "Rukia, thank god you're here. Three nurses so far have tried to sexually harass me while they monitor my oxygen levels. When I complained to Dr. Huang, he told me to shut up and eat my hospital mush. I can't deal with crappy food! That's why I cook for myself!" He started to cough again from exerting his voice too much.

I smoothed down his hair, praying that nurses hadn't actually tried to harass my older brother. "Byakuya. Shut up and eat a doughnut. I brought you a coffee too, just the way you like it."

"Thanks Rukia. You're a good sister. Were you okay last night home alone?"

"Yeah, I was fine," I said, helping myself to a doughnut and watching Byakuya lick cinnamon sugar off his fingers. "I got home from the Kurosaki's about a half hour after you called me. Then I cooked some pasta and watched a movie before I went to bed."

As the last bite of doughnut disappeared down his throat, Byakuya sighed in appreciation. "Those were really good. Get them again some time."

Someone knocked on the door when Byakuya coughed again. Dr. Huang entered the room balancing a clipboard on his arm and nerdy glasses on his nose. "And how is my favorite patient?" The look on Byakuya's face probably froze the coffee in his hand. I knew how much he hated being coddled or talked to as though he was a kid.

"Ms. Kuchiki, I'm going to have to ask you to leave now. I need to conduct some tests to measure your brother's breathing and to determine if his lungs are still as weak as they were yesterday. Please close the door on your way out." He left no room for discussion or arguments. Though I really wanted to stay, I figured at this point it would be best to let the doctor handle this so Byakuya could come home within the next few days.

As I exited the elevator, I bumped into none other than Yoruichi Shihoin, Byakuya's old friend from when he was growing up. As usual, she looked effortlessly gorgeous.

Her purplish hair- only Yoruichi could make a color like that look stunning- hung far down her back in a silky ponytail, with strands looping around her face. Her cat's eyes gleamed, and her perfectly tan skin shone under her crisp white button down. If Yoruichi had a different personality, she could have been an exotic model. But, unfortunately, she was somewhat of a tomboy and had no interest in her looks beyond what her husband, Kisuke Urahara, thought of them.

What a shame. If I had looks like that, I'd flaunt them in Orihime's face.

Yoruichi had chosen to work in the field instead, becoming a martial arts instructor. She herself had trained in martial arts since she was a little kid. Apparently, she originally met Byakuya when she kicked him flat on his butt in the dojo. He still hasn't forgiven her for that.

She is possibly the coolest adult I know and is one of my closest confidants. The only person I have ever felt comfortable discussing my problems with Orihime with is Yoruichi, and so far she's given me some great advice on how to handle that snarky witch.

Yoruichi just gets me. She and Kisuke are always there if I need a chat, a hug, or a cheer-me-up gadget from Kisuke's store. I try to visit them about once a week, and debrief the couple on my day and my problems. Kisuke is the goofy guy who always cracks jokes and fools around- Yoruichi knows how to keep him in line though.

So when I ran into her in the elevator, I wasn't surprised when she immediately invited me over to her house for lunch. With all that had happened this week, I hadn't visited her yet. Yoruichi just had to run upstairs first to visit Byakuya and make sure he was actually still breathing and living.

I chose not to warn her that Dr. Huang wouldn't let me stay. No matter how coarse and snippy she and my brother are to each other (eternal rivals act like that) I can tell how much they care about each other. If Yoruichi was determined to see my brother, a puny doctor couldn't stop her.

I sat in a very uncomfortable chair in the lobby and waited for Yoruichi to come back down, arching my back and groaning at how hard the chair was. When she finally jumped out of the elevator with a smile on her face, my spine felt like it had been twisted and snapped like an elastic band. Ow. I was left wondering what methods she had employed to get into Byakuya's hospital room.

Ignoring my discomfort, she pulled me up and waltzed me out the hospital doors into the sunlight. "So Rukia," she pulled down her shirt a little and ignored the dazed stares she got from men passing by, "I want to know how your life has been this past week. Kisuke and I have been reallllyyy bored lately, and in a fit of complete boredom, decided to sit around and talk about your future. He thinks you're going to marry Ichigo, settle down, and have little orange-haired, black eyed babies. I told him to stop being ridiculous and claimed that you would become the CEO of a famous law firm where you hire only women because you are a complete feminist and feel you need to advance women's rights. I know it's a little random, but who's more right- me or Kisuke?"

"Well, I haven't really given my future much thought yet, but I don't think I'm a feminist. I might be a lawyer, but"- here I forced a laugh, trying to sound casual- "what if I did marry Ichigo? Ha ha, that would be funny, right?"

It was like a lightbulb suddenly went off in my head. _Yoruichi is a woman. I already tell her everything. Why don't I see what she thinks about my feelings for Ichigo? Maybe she'll help me out a little and tell me what to do!_

From the look on Yoruichi's face, I knew she had guessed something was up. As she unlocked the door to her house and held it open for me, I was busy trying to find the best words to use to describe my situations with both Orihime and Ichigo.  
_

"So let me get this straight. Orihime showed you a photoshopped picture of you and Ichigo and warned you to stay away from him. And she also told you that you like him."

I nodded, a mug of hot chocolate balancing on my lap.

"And after that, you have started to have feelings for Ichigo that are out of the ordinary."

I nodded again.

"And you think you like him. You want to kiss him. You want him to be your boyfriend."

I sighed. Hopefully this wouldn't become too embarrassing. "Yes, yes, and yes. Now that you have obviously grasped the story, can you please tell me how to deal with my problems?"

She ignored the plea in my voice. "Well, this is just so cute! I can totally see you and Ichigo together." She went off into Yoruichi-world, a crazy place where fantasies come to life. "You guys will date all through high school, then go to college together, then Orihime will reappear and seduce him, and you guys will fight, but then love will conquer all and you will kick Orihime's sorry ass and win over Ichigo and live happily ever after!"

"Yoruichi, please focus. I really need some advice. I do like Ichigo, I know that. But he's my best friend. I don't know how to act around him anymore. And Tatsuki keeps telling me that Orihime is jealous of my relationship with Ichigo, and that's why she bullies me."

"Well, that motivation makes a ton of sense. Orihime wants you out of the way so she can snatch Ichigo back. And she thinks she can get through to you by threatening you."

"Which she has. I definitely feel threatened."

"And Ichigo won't tell Orihime to stop bothering you?"

"Well," I answered, not sure how to bring up the fight from yesterday, "Ichigo and I had a slight disagreement yesterday over his lack of involvement with the Orihime problem- but it's fine now! We made up and everything, so it's all good."

"Hmmm," Yoruichi looked deep in thought, "I would just tell Ichigo how you feel. I mean, he is your best friend. He'll understand if you tell him you have feelings for him. Best friends fall for each other all the time. That's what it was like for me and Kisuke."

"Really?" I asked. Even though I had heard the story a million times, it could never really get old.

"Yup. Kisuke and I were just martial arts training partners, and then I found out he lived down the street from me. We spent every day together after that, doing all that kid stuff- making a treehouse hideout, going to the park and playing in the sand, you know. And then when we were about your age I had the same problem you did."

I didn't remember ever being told this part of the story.

She continued. "I kind of lied to you before. I told you that Kisuke was the one in love with me first when we were teenagers, and that he asked me out twenty-nine times before I said yes. To tell you the truth, I was the one who stalked him. I woke up one morning and realized I liked him as more than friends, and spent the next year of my life chasing him until he got up enough nerve to ask me out. So you see, your relationship can work out."

"I don't really like the idea of waiting for a year."

"Well, if I had been up front about my feelings and had told Kisuke from the beginning, I wouldn't have had to stalk him for a year. He told me when we got married that he would have dated me from the second I said I liked him."

In bed that night thinking about Yoruichi's words, I couldn't help but wonder if Ichigo would ask me out if I told him how I felt. Somehow, I doubted it.  
_

Monday morning, as Ichigo and I walked up to the school gates, we were unfortunately greeted with the sight of Orihime flipping her hair in Uryu's face. Noticing Ichigo, she strutted towards us, swinging her hips a little extra for Ichigo's benefit. Her uniform looked tighter than normal. Did she shrink it on purpose? I wondered. Her lacy bra was starting to pop out of her shirt.

Just as she was about to reach us with a confidant smirk on her perfect face, Ichigo grabbed my shoulders and steered us away. He let go of me and walked by my side, matching my pace.

"Uh, Ichigo? What was that?"

"Well, I thought you wanted to avoid her, and I had no intention of being harassed so early in the day by a freaky slut. But if you want to go back and talk to her, be my guest."

Wow. He meant what he said when he apologized to me. He really did care about my problem with Orihime.

Just as I was about to thank him for leading me away, an excited Momo hopped onto my back, with Soi Fon following close behind. She squealed, "I have the best idea for you seventeenth birthday party!"

Oh, shit.  
_

Even at lunch, Momo would not stop talking, despite Soi Fon's desperate efforts to shut her up. Apparently, Ichigo had called Momo and informed her that I needed a birthday party for this Friday and would she be so kind as to help him plan? Of course, Momo, being the overenthusiastic person she is, was more than ready to help. And at this point even though the last thing I wanted was a party after last year's disaster, I didn't have the heart to tell Momo no.

"It will have to be at your house- that's a given. And since your brother isn't going to be home (I had told her yesterday over the phone that Byakuya was in the hospital) that means a HOUSE PARTY! Drinking and loud music and sex galore!"

I wanted to bluntly tell her, "No way in hell." Why would she think I would enjoy another party like that? Momo's the party girl, not me.

But instead I sat motionless as she and Soi Fon (who surprisingly was excited now as well) planned the kinkiest, most alcohol soaked party in existence.

Or, well, if not the kinkiest, at least more kinky and alcohol soaked than I'm comfortable with. Damn Ichigo. Why'd he have to get my friends involved in this too?

Suddenly, they stopped talking and giggling shrilly. Everyone around us was staring over at the most popular senior table in the cafeteria. Orihime was walking sweetly over to the table with her salad, Rangiku following closely behind her. Tatsuki was nowhere to be seen.

Orihime ventured by a few hot seniors guys who whistled as she passed, including the cool, distant, and incredibly attractive rebels Ulquiorra and Grimmjow. She raised her tiny eyebrows at them, trying to act innocent, but we all knew she had hooked up with both the guys this year. She finally reached her destination, mindful of all the stares from around the cafeteria.

Black haired model Nnoitra, the most popular senior guy, whipped his head around to where Orihime was approaching. He moved his arm from its position on a blond girl's shoulder and tapped her lightly. The blond girl spun her head in surprise. The other girls sitting at the table looked up from their lunches.

If Orihime was the Princess of the school and the most popular girl in our grade, there was only one girl higher on the social ladder than her in the entire school. The gorgeous, throaty-voiced, blond sex goddess, Tia Hallibel.

Tia was smart, savvy, hot, and perfect in every way. She was a little violent (which guys seemed to like) and had a great body. Her chest wasn't as full as Orihime's, and she was less curvy overall, but she was solid taut muscle and bronze skin. Her bright green eyes gleamed mysteriously against her light yellow eyeliner, and her blond hair was the envy of almost every girl in school. Her tiny nose caused more girls than I could think of to get nose jobs, and her thin legs were toned to either run ten miles or rock a minidress.

She didn't dress like a slut. Her white button down was crisp and fresh, her skirt the same length as mine. But from the way she carried herself, she gave off an undeniable radiance of power. She was both loved and feared throughout the school, and she thrived off her reputation.

Tia, in the same way Orihime did, carried around her core group of friends wherever she went. But while Rangiku (more than Tatsuki) followed Orihime and obeyed her every word, Tia's friends were independent with minds of their own. Each one of her three friends could have become the most popular girl in school themselves, but staying best friends with irresistible Tia was worth being second place.

Apache, the star runner of Tia's track team, was currently wrestling with her food, trying to fit chicken and lettuce together on her fork. Her black bob hung delicately around her ears, which were pierced with three holes. Apache was known for rocking rebel style outfits while still in dress code. She also had the fiercest temper out of Tia's closest friends, and could knock other athletes over in an instant.

Next to her, the tall, tan-skinned model Mila Rose was poking Apache, trying to distract her from her food. Mila Rose's hair, as usual, was curled into perfect brown waves, and her green eyes could rival Tia's. Apache and Mila Rose were famous for fighting with each other constantly. Without fail, the two could start an argument anywhere.

They were only held in check by the last member of their group, the classic Asian beauty Sun Sun. Her shimmering scarf, with its pattern of cherry blossoms, fit perfectly with the required uniform and added an element of class and refinement. In an unwritten code, Sun Sun's job was to prevent her two friends from fighting- or to at least make sure Tia didn't see them fight.

Most often, Sun Sun's methods to end fights involved insulting her friends, forcing both hot-tempered girls to fight Sun Sun instead of each other. From there, Sun Sun could easily manipulate the girls and destroy their anger. She was the most dangerous of Tia's friends, if only because she was so smart and sly.

She flipped her hair once, sensing a fight brewing between Apache and Mila Rose as the latter continued to irritate Apache. "Mila Rose," Sun Sun spoke up, twirling her hair around her finger, "Your hair looks like you threw it in a garbage truck today. What, did you have sex in a dump or something?"

Mila Rose turned sharply, now ignoring Apache. "For your information, Sun Sun, you're the kind of slutty person who has sex in dumps."

"Really?" Sun Sun gave her a sly grin. "Is that the best comeback you have?"

Mila Rose was about to retaliate when Tia flashed the three girls a look. Speaking in a low voice, which somehow everyone in the cafeteria heard, she spoke. "Looks like we have company. Little Orihime's trying to sit with us."

Orihime caught the slight, barely slipped in jab in Tia's words and faltered in her step slightly before resuming her course. I laughed a little. The only person who could cause unstoppable Orihime any doubt was Tia.

I had spoken to Tia once in my life- when she saw my painting hanging on the wall in the art classroom and told me, "Looks cool. You're pretty good at painting." That one encounter was pretty special to me- that the most popular senior took time to compliment me. But one thing about Tia was that she was fair, if a little scary. If she destroyed your social reputation, you must have deserved what you got.

She hated bullies or fakes more than anything else, which must have been why she was never Orihime's biggest fan. After my experiences with Orihime, I was positive if you looked up the words 'bully', 'fake', or 'slut' up in the dictionary, Orihime's picture would be proudly pasted in.

I respected Tia. She was that super cool senior who you always see but never had the guts to talk to. And the fact that she didn't like Orihime much was just icing on the cake.

Tia fixed her intense gaze on Orihime, daring her to come closer to the table. Orihime didn't take the hint to go away, and continued to meander over. She honestly believed Tia liked her, and couldn't even imagine that Tia was immune to her charms. Speaking up with a bright, winning smile on her face, Orihime said, "Tia, I know you're busy and all, but I was wondering if next period you could help me with my French homework?"

Tia lounged back, but still managed to look dangerous, like a cat about to strike. Her words had poison in them. "You know I'm lousy at French. And why would you bring over your entire lunch and your posse if you just wanted me to help you next period?"

Orihime had already placed her tray down at an empty seat at the table, fully intending to eat her lunch there. Rangiku stood off to the side, clearly unsure if she should sit down or not. Hearing Tia's words, Orihime froze.

Sun Sun leaned across the table and stared Orihime down. For the first time since Orihime had arrived at the table, she looked truly frightened. "You know Orihime," Sun Sun began, her voice like a knife wrapped in silk, "that seat's taken. You shouldn't be sitting there."

Apache stopped focusing on her food long enough to look up and say, "Yeah Ugly-hime, we don't want you here."

Sun Sun gasped at the same time Orihime did, but it sounded like she was choking back laughter at Apache's bluntness. "No, no, no, Apache. You can't say something like that to Orihime. Her nickname is more like Slutty-hime or Oral-hime. Ugly-hime doesn't do her personality justice. Isn't that right, Orihime?"

I almost started cracking up. This was priceless, seeing Orihime this defenseless. She shouldn't have bothered to sit with Tia in the first place- Tia's friends were now going to tear her apart for their enjoyment in front of the whole school. Plus, if Tia didn't approve of someone, Apache, Sun Sun, and Mila Rose were obliged to hate that person as well.

Mila Rose gave Orihime a wicked smile. "Ugglyy-himmmeeee," she sang, "I think your friend ditched you." Rangiku had slowly ventured back to the junior section of the cafeteria in fear. "And I'm sorry Sun Sun- I like Ugly-hime better as a nickname. It just flows, you know?"

Tia held up a tan hand to stop her friends' insults. "Orihime, please go back to the junior area. There isn't enough room at our table today. I'm also not going to help you with your homework. You know as well as I do that I suck at French. Now please go away. I wanted to eat in peace without dealing with pests like you." Orihime, who was shaking at this point, cast one more glance over to Sun Sun, who smiled sweetly back at her.

God, this was entertaining. Even if I didn't know for sure why the four girls hated Orihime so much.

Orihime wandered back through the cafeteria, trying to uphold the last shreds of her dignity as she dared anyone to insult her further. We were all silent. As she exited through the double doors, Rangiku right on her heels like a little dog, talking broke out again like normal. I shot one last glance over to Tia's table, where she had just thrown out Orihime's left-behind salad. Her green eyes locked with mine, and I looked away hurriedly.

**A longer, action packed chapter for the great, amazing people who have reviewed/ favorited/subscribed to my story so far. ORIHIME BASHING YESSS! Will Rukia confess? Is Byakuya okay? WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT WITH ORIHIME? **

**Now for an important message from the author:**

**PleasePleasePlease review! I love anyone who reads this story, and I will love you all even more if you take time out of your busy days to review this story! My goal for this story is 50 reviews- Please help me achieve my dream! **

**If you review, I promise Ichigo will arrive on your front doorstep the next day with his shirt off like the package of smexy goodness he is. For the entire day, he will be your willing slave who has a 32 pack like Taylor Lautner from Twilight. If you're a guy and you don't want Ichigo, I will send you the ever-sexy Rukia who will steal you away to the Soul Society, attempt to seduce you, and cook you dinner. So please review! **


	6. PartiesFor Seventeen Year Olds

**I love all my readers and reviewers! You guys are the best! Keep up the good work and keep reviewing! Here's a special chapter for you all. :)**

**Warning: If you are easily offended by teenage drinking, parties or kissing, please don't read this. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. **

**Chapter 6**

Momo was already wasted. How could she manage that so fast?

Her drunk personality (flirty, loud, and bouncy) wasn't much different from her normal personality. She was jumping all over the living room, completely oblivious to Toshiro's efforts to calm her down. Her eyes were huge and dilated, her face was bright pink, and her clothes were hanging off her body. Thank God Toshiro hates drinking himself, or else no one would be looking after Momo. She would just run wild and scare everyone else.

Momo had just grabbed another half-drunk beer from behind a lamp and had chugged it down intensely before a frustrated Toshiro ripped it out of her grasp. With all the noise in the room, I could only see their lips moving and couldn't hear what Toshiro said to scold his girlfriend.

She had arrived at my house a few hours earlier, tugging along an unenthusiastic Soi Fon and carrying a large shopping bag of clothing. It had only been about a hour since we got out of school, and I was going to take a nap before the torture of my birthday party began. Without even bothering to ring the doorbell, Momo barged through the front door- _had I really forgotten to lock that?_- and began screaming excitedly at the top of her lungs. Soi Fon sat staring off into space. I caught the words, "Hot damn sexy outfit!" and "KYA!" before I decided to ignore her. She sat twitching with excitement, not even noticing I wasn't listening.

Soi Fon had followed me into the kitchen, where she proceeded to remind me how it was my birthday party and how Momo had spent the last few days coordinating a guest list with Ichigo and planning my outfit.

_Damn it Soi Fon_. I thought, if anything, she would be on my side. Soi Fon hates parties, and isn't a huge drinker. Last year at my sixteenth birthday party, she gave a tirade to anyone who was drunk enough to listen about the dangers of alcohol. Kind of counterintuitive if you ask me.

Apparently, she didn't want to be here any more than I did, but felt that Momo had worked hard enough and deserved some support and thanks from her friends. Especially from the birthday girl.

"Plus," she said, "it is your birthday after all, and I want to spend it with you. Even if we are at some crazy party planned by our best friend. So have fun tonight. I know you don't like parties, and neither do I, but Momo planned this cuz she cares about you. That's gotta mean something." Despite her words, I could hear her gulping as she steeled herself for the night of drunk partying she had resigned herself to.

By this point, Momo had realized where we had disappeared to. Shoving the shopping bag into my hands, she put her hand between my shoulder blades and directed me to my bathroom. Clapping her hands together, she exclaimed, "Take a shower with that really good smelling shampoo you have- I don't know what it's called- and then try these outfits on! I packed two, so in case you don't like the first option, then we have a backup!"

I groaned. "What if I don't like either option?"

Giggling back, Momo was too happy. "Don't be silly Rukia. You have to like at least one of the outfits I chose!"

I took a shower with the sweet-smelling shampoo Momo suggested. I dried off. Then, I dared to look into the bag of what had to be slutty outfits. If Momo's enthusiasm was any indication, she had probably just shoved skimpy underwear in the bag and would force me to wear that.

Pulling out the first option, I sighed, a little happier that it wasn't underwear. This was clearly from Momo's closet. Short (incredibly tiny, nearly nonexistent) shorts and a hot pink tank top. Okay. A little too much skin showing, but overall I might be able to wear it without too much embarrassment. Not the most trashy outfit I had ever seen.

Yanking out the other outfit, I held it up into the light. Momo had gone all out with this outfit. And it wasn't bad.

Short black pencil skirt, flowy sleeveless shirt, and hoop earrings. All paired with comfortable, flat shoes that just looked fashionable. She must have known I didn't want shoes I couldn't walk in.

This was- surprisingly- a somewhat classy party outfit. I was impressed. Momo must have thought for a while about what outfits would suit me best for my birthday. And more surprisingly, I didn't mind sliding the fabric of the second outfit over my head to try it on. When I looked in the mirror, I even kind of liked my appearance.

So I guess I owed Momo a 'thank you' after all.  
_

Loud rap music was splitting my head apart. Some kid was acting as a DJ. Random people I didn't know were busy making out on my sofa. _Damn- how'd all these people get in here anyway?_ As the beat pounded and pulsated through my apartment, people grinded wildly. No one noticed me walking through the room as they danced. Wrinkling my nose, I smelled waves of beer coming off people's brain-dead bodies. Alcohol was everywhere I looked- half empty beers, tequila, and vodka bottles were strewn all over the floor. Tiny shots containers littered the couches.

_Shit. I'm gonna have to clean up this crap tomorrow._ Byakuya was going to kill me if he ever found out about this. And the music was making it hard to think straight. By now, I was just pissed. The excitement I had felt over my nice outfit had worn off.

Where was Ichigo? He had, unfortunately, planned this party, invited all these random people, and then disappeared. I hadn't seen him in over an hour.

Finding that the hallway was slightly quieter, although couples were still dancing (and making out) out here, I sat down against the wall and buried my face in my hands, trying to stifle all the noises around me. The couples were too engrossed in themselves to notice me.

My birthday is the time to spend with my friends and Byakuya, yet I was stuck with a bunch of kids from school I didn't even talk to. I doubted most people even knew whose party this was. Ichigo had invited them to my house, so they showed up.

I quickly accounted for people I actually wanted to be with right now. Byakuya was in the hospital. Momo was off being a crazy, drunk party girl. Soi Fon- who I guess went wild tonight after our conversation in the kitchen- had her tongue down some senior's throat. _Momo must have made her drink something to loosen up_. And Ichigo. Where the hell was that boy?

Wandering into the kitchen, desperately in need of some water instead of the alcohol drowning my house, I walked right into a drunk Izuru making out with Rangiku. They were basically humping each other around my kitchen table. _Well, I can't eat there again._ Couldn't I have some private space, peace, or freedom from couples having sex with clothes on?

Another pressing problem: _Who invited that slut into my house?_ All she was wearing was a black tube top her boobs were bouncing out of and a skirt that barely covered her butt. And Izuru seemed pretty excited about it. _Oh God._ I panicked. _Was Orihime here too?_

_Refocus your energies. Maybe I could get some water from the bathroom? _

Nope. Bathroom was occupied by another incredibly close couple. I only caught a glimpse of their faces, but they looked like red-headed Chizuru Honsho and Chad, Ichigo's Mexican friend.

Damn. She's getting it in. I didn't even know she liked guys.

I continued to tiredly look for a remaining quiet spot in my house- knowing the people at this party, even my bedroom was probably being used- until someone reached around a door and grabbed my waist.

I squirmed for a second before a big hand touched my shoulder and sent shocks through my body. A gravelly, sexy voice said, "Rukia, you're not having fun, are you?"

I whirled around to face Ichigo. "Well, of course I'm not! I have to watch my house's innocence be destroyed by a bunch of rowdy, overly horny teenagers! And where the hell have you been anyway? I hope you weren't drinking!"

He chuckled. "Well, I had a beer- but that was it. I know my limits. Anyway, before Izuru and Rangiku interrupted me in the kitchen, I had just finished with your birthday surprise. Do you want it?"

_Please say it's cake. Please say it's cake. A cake baked by Ichigo would be pure heaven._ I was busy imagining him being all domestic in my kitchen. "Yeah, I definitely want it."

"Well, I put it up in your room so it wouldn't get smashed by those 'rowdy, overly horny teenagers'. And I have another question."

"Fire away."

He nudged me with a sly smirk. "Are you including us in the rowdy, overly horny category?"

I shoved him around and continued walking towards my room.  
_

Apparently, my gift was hidden in my closet. Ichigo directed me inside, turned on the closet light, and waited for me to find it. From behind a stack of pants, I could smell frosting. Reaching around all the random crap in my closet (Ichigo had hidden my gift well) I pulled out a moist, gooey slice of chocolate cake! My eyes lit up with excitement and hunger.

Once I had pulled the cake into brighter light, it looked even better. Purple and blue frosting- my favorite colors- squeezed into flowers adorned the chocolate frosting layered around the cake. The smell was absolutely heavenly. I wondered if Ichigo had tried any of his creation yet.

He looked at me seriously. "Happy birthday, Rukia. I know you kinda hate your party, and usually I'm the life of parties like this, but I'm willing to skip the party and just hang out here. Now eat your cake and make a wish."

He had kindly provided me with a fork as well. Taking the first bite of gooey cake and frosting onto the fork, I sighed with happiness as the delicious taste tingled my senses. Ichigo leaned with his back against my bed and watched me calmly. Another bite...then another...and another...until there were only two bites of the slice left.

"Hey Ichigo, you should have one of the last bites. You made the cake after all."

"You sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. Eat it and I'll take the last bite. It's honestly one of the best things I've ever eaten."

"You never compliment my cooking!" His tongue swirled around the fork. "Wow, this isn't bad. I didn't know I could cook this well."

"I wish I had known about your baking talents earlier. You would have had to bake me a cake every year."

"That reminds me. What did you wish for?"

I blushed a little. My wish. Well, it did have to do with him. But he didn't have to know that.

I decided to tell him a little of the truth, but leave out the most important details. Like his name. "Well, let's see. My wish- I want to hook up with a guy who I know really well, but I don't think he likes me back. I've been friends with him for a really long time and-"

My voice was suddenly muffled by something warm, soft, and wet. This something was pressing down hard on my lips, and shifting around, creating friction. _Ichigo's lips. _

My eyes were still open. Once I had grasped enough of the situation through my dazed brain, I decided to close my eyes and just feel what was happening. His lips on mine felt so good. It was like something warm and sweet, like the cake, was seeping off his lips into my mouth. A hand reached out around my waist to pull me closer, onto Ichigo's lap.

I hesitatingly placed my arms around his neck, and my hands, gathering courage, tickled the bristles of hair on the back of his neck with my slim fingers. Moving my hands up a little higher, I pulled my fingers continuously through his silky hair that I knew glowed orange. It was so soft, and he purred a little as I massaged the top of his head and softly intertwined strands of his hair.

His other hand wound around my neck, gently pulling at the skin there. The massage, as his hand dipped down a little lower until it was under the hemline of my shirt, was teasing.

And suddenly, the kiss got rougher. I don't know how it happened. One minute we were content with just brushing our lips together sweetly, and the next Ichigo had bit down on my bottom lip to make me open my mouth. I obliged, my lips tingling, and as soon as his tongue touched mine, I felt complete. His mouth was warm and tasted like a lot like beer-_he drank more than I thought_- combined with cake and just his essence, and my tongue explored around every tooth and every muscle, lapping up every bit of him I could taste. Our breaths mingled together and mixed up our individual scents.

We both surged into the kiss, fully intent on bruising each other's lips. His tongue was wandering purposefully in my mouth, flicking itself against the back of my front teeth. Finally, his tongue grabbed onto mine and firmly held it as he licked it. I fought back and pulled my tongue out of his reach quickly before I moved my hands to rub his chest.

I was molded to his body, I had just noticed. I wasn't just in his lap anymore; I was curled and curved around every part of his body so tightly I didn't think anyone could fit a sheet of paper in between us. Vaguely, I wondered when I had become wrapped so tightly around him. Then I completely forgot my thoughts.

His hands were inching up my shirt. His careful fingertips swirled in patterns around my belly button as he dragged his nails lightly up my stomach with drawn-out motions. I gasped into Ichigo's mouth as one hand inched towards the bottom of my bra with one hand and traced the wire outline. The other hand was currently moving lower, two fingers daintily resting just inside the waistband of my shorts.

I didn't even know what I was feeling anymore. It was like pleasure and warmth and something else I didn't understand wrapped into a tiny ball, exploding in my chest. Little bubbles were fizzing up my body everywhere he touched me, like I was a shaken can of soda. Just by kissing him, I could admit to myself that my feelings for Ichigo ran deeper than I originally thought. God, I really wanted him.

He wasn't going any further with his hands. He was trying to keep me comfortable. Until I pushed him over so I was lying on top of him. I looped my legs around his waist and broke the kiss for a moment so I could grab some air. He panted for a minute, then seemed to realize the position we were in. He choked out, "Rukia, what are you-what am I-"

I kissed him again, with even more fervor than before. Even if I didn't want to sleep with him tonight, I wanted to kiss him as much as possible without him complaining. He didn't push me away. My tongue found his again, and we stayed in my room for the next hour, until we decided that the party was over. Though it may have just been the alcohol in Ichigo's system speaking, I was still content. I got to kiss the guy I liked. Even if he was intoxicated.

It was a pretty good seventeenth birthday present. And Orihime wasn't even there to ruin it.  
_

**For those of you starved from IchiRuki interactions, I hope this tickled your fancy. **

**I don't know, but I felt kinda dirty writing this kissing scene. And it's not even a lemon! :D Well I hope you guys enjoyed it. It was, after all, fun to write, even if it does seem extreme. ICHIRUKI HOOKUP! **

**Love you guys. Keep reviewing! I MEAN IT! Heehee. **


	7. New Guys and Beating Bullies

**_Wow. I know it's only been a week and a half, but I have felt so lonely not writing my baby. I'm so sorry for not updating sooner! (Hides from punches being thrown) I had a crapload of work this past week, and the next few weeks look to be about the same. I will update whenever I can. So this is a slightly longer chappie just for you guys! :)_**

**_And you know, whenever I read all of your fantastic reviews, I get happy and am newly inspired to write faster. I can MAKE TIME TO WRITE (POSSIBLY). Wink Wink Hint Hint. Thanks so much!_**

**This chapter is dedicated to 2 awesome reviewers:**  
**1) purplepam, who gave me the intensely awesome idea about a new plot drive. Read to find out!**  
**2) soinlovewithbleach, who has faithfully given me long, descriptive reviews of each chapter. You don't know how much that means to me. Thanks so much for your support!**

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN BLEACH! DOESN'T EVERYONE ALREADY KNOW THIS?**

**Another Note: Ignore Renji's involvement in the second chapter. That chapter is currently undergoing renovations. As of now, he exists in Rukia's universe. BEFORE THIS CHAPTER HE DID NOT EXIST. **

Chapter 7

Ichigo and I hadn't changed for the better. I was severely disappointed.

We still took the subway together every morning, still ate in our favorite cafe. Still hung out after school. Still went on our weekly excursions with the Kurosaki family. And then, quickly, we started to see each other less often. It got to the point that the awkwardness between us became unbearable. The kiss had marred our relationship.

I had taken by that point to avoiding Ichigo and his effing stupid opinions and feelings like the plague. If I saw him in the hallway at school, I would find a different route to my next class. I refused to sit with him and the guys at lunch.

Momo and Soi Fon were confused. Even if I hadn't told them about my feelings for Ichigo before my party, I had to tell them that we kissed. They reacted just the way I expected them too. Lots of squeals, giggles, and advice thrown at me. Until I informed them that, in the near future, Ichigo had made it clear he didn't want a relationship with me.

Even after we had kissed, Ichigo just seemed to want to forget about it. The 'incident' was just a part of his life left behind in the past.

He told me about a week after my party, when the awkwardness started to show, that he knew I liked him. When I kissed him, he could feel it. He understood. I felt happy. I thought he would reciprocate my feelings, once he had enough time to sort past the fuzziness of the alcohol.

Instead though, he turned into an ignorant asshole, completely disregarding my feelings. He 'wasn't sure' what his feelings for me were yet, whether they were just best friend feelings or something else. He needed time to sort it out, and we couldn't just 'jump into a relationship' when he wasn't ready to state his feelings.

When he first started speaking, I had high hopes that he might even ask me to the upcoming junior prom. I nearly salivated at the thought of him in a dark tux, swirling me around as we danced. His orange hair would light up the dark dance floor. My short, slinky, deep lavender dress would cling to my legs like plastic wrap.

And when he finished speaking, I knew there was no chance of him asking me to the dance. So I gave him a hurt-filled glare, turned on my heel, and speed-walked away before I burst into tears. My awkwardness had been replaced by anger.  
_

My life was just crap right now. Byakuya's condition had gotten worse.

I had visited the hospital last week, and still I was forbidden to see my brother. When I had barged into his room last week with some candy and a container of sesame noodles, nurses shooed me out so he could sleep off his medicine.

He had been transferred to a different ward in the hospital, and it took me just short of death threats to beat my brother's room number out of the receptionist. I was so determined to see my brother that when I stalked down the hall and banged on his new door, I didn't even notice the ward name or where exactly I was going.

In the hallway, I had sat feeling depressed and confused that no one would tell me what was going on with Byakuya. I started imagining all kinds of horrible scenarios; until my eyes me met a tall, kind-looking woman wearing white scrubs. Her hair was arranged oddly- thick and so black it looked blue, a huge braid hung down the front of her body. Her eyes were a beautiful violet, but underneath their calmness I was convinced that they were hiding some sort of violent force. This woman seemed like someone who didn't get angry often; but when she did, you had to watch out. She had the kind of controlled and awe-inspiring personality I had always wished I had.

Walking up to me, ignoring the fact that I was slumped against a wall and didn't want to talk, she held out her hand. "I'm Dr. Unohana. Am I right in assuming you are Miss Rukia Kuchiki?"

"How do you know my name?"

"I thought so!" She smiled widely. "Well, when your brother was transferred to his new ward, I became his primary doctor. So I'll be taking care of him for a little while."

Well, she seemed more capable than Dr. Huang. At least she's relatively ordinary, if a little scary. Even if she does have weird hair for a doctor. "Is there something wrong with my brother? Why would he need to transfer to a different ward?"

When she answered, my respect for her grew tenfold immediately. She didn't try to sugarcoat things or hide the truth just because I was younger. "To be honest, your brother is very sick. Your brother's first doctor had thought Byakuya was getting better. However, it seems that the bacteria causing his pneumonia had not been destroyed as we had hoped."

"Huh?"

"Byakuya has an excess of fluid in his chest that has been there for a very long time. We discovered the fluid when he first came into the hospital, and attempted to drain some of it out. However, it seems we didn't take out enough. About two days ago, fluid somehow began pouring around his lungs. This induced a complication to the pneumonia, and your brother's body is very weak right now. He has had a very hard time lately breathing, and right now we are not sure how to fully drain the fluid."

"So is he gonna be okay? I mean, there are tons of ways to drain the fluid, right?"

"We don't want to cause any more damage to his system by forcefully draining the fluid. Any harmful procedures could prove to be deadly." Here she patted me on the shoulder and gave me a small smile. "Don't worry though. We're experts. I'm paid to cure people like your brother. I'll tell you what. You can't see Byakuya today because we gave him a huge round of antibiotics a few hours ago. But I'll sneak you into his room tomorrow so you can talk for a little while."

"Thanks Doctor Unohana. I'll come back tomorrow then." By this point her words about Byakuya's condition had sunk in, and I suddenly felt like I was going to throw up. _Byakuya is very sick. She's just hoping she can cure him. _

She waved goodbye to me (a little sadly, I realized later) as I dashed down the hall, in desperate need of a bathroom. When I turned a sharp corner and exited the ward through a huge wooden door, I glanced behind me at the sign. I stopped short. The ward was called 'Intensive Care'.

I almost started to cry, and forgot all about my need to throw up. My emotions were tied to a yo yo string. Sinking to the ground underneath the sign, I put my face in my hands to staunch the tears threatening to flow. _What if Byakuya died? What if he left me? Where would I go?_ "Any harmful procedures could prove to be deadly," the doctor had said. I had already lost my sister. Hisana had died just like this- in a hospital, surrounded by doctors who had promised to save her. But they didn't even care about her in the end.

_What if they didn't care about Byakuya either? What would happen if they didn't drain that stupid fluid from his lungs?_ My face scrunched up as I gave in to my feelings and let tears flow freely down my red, puffy face._ I didn't want my only family to die._ More tears painfully shot out the corners of my eyes._ I needed Byakuya._ My sobs were choking and desperate._ I just wanted to see him and make sur he's alright for now._ I sounded like a little kid. _He was my big brother._ Sobs racked my entire body and made me shake with cold and fear. _I don't think I would survive if he died too. After Hisana, that would be too much pain to handle. I would shrivel up and die myself. _

I could feel my entire face getting soaked and weighed down by my tears. My nose was probably as red as a tomato, and my eyes were rimmed with ugly lines. I didn't have a mirror, but I could only guess what a mess I looked like.

"Are you okay?"

The voice- definitely male- came from directly in front of me. Taking my face out of my hands, I looked up through swollen eyes. A guy with long, bright red hair that had to be dyed- it's like Ichigo's- stared down at me, his hand outstretched to pull me up. I took it, and I saw his muscle ripple in his arm as he hoisted me off the ground. This guy was ripped.

Wiping remnants of tears from my eyes, I spoke up, somewhat annoyed. "Do I look okay?"

He laughed a little. "No, not really. I guess that was a stupid question."

Now that I got a better look at him, I was surprised. The guy had black tattoos running all around his body. They poked out of his shirt and wound around his forehead, providing a nice contrast to the immaculate white button down. He didn't look scary or thug-like though. The tattoos just made him a little tougher.

As he stood there awkwardly, he continued to stare at my face. I gave him a look.  
"Sorry. You just look really familiar," he said as he backed off a little, a smile still on his face.

"Who do I look like?"

"It's really silly, but a lawyer in the city I work for. Byakuya Kuchiki?"

I stared at him. "That's really weird. He's my brother in law- we aren't related by blood, and you're the first person who's ever told me we look alike."

"Stupid me, I guess. Then you must be the famous Rukia."

"How do you know my name?"

"I work for Mr. Kuchiki. I'm his intern Renji Abarai, it's great to meet you. Mr Kuchiki's mentioned you a few times before. Plus, there's a picture of you on his desk."

I had never seen this man before., but I distinctly remembered my brother explaining some random interning program to me a few months back. Was this the guy he hired? This Renji guy was the polar opposite of my calm, business-oriented, neat and careful brother. "Did you start work recently?"

"Yeah, I'm a high school student on an exchange program. I live in Tokyo, and my school has a partnership with a school out here- Karakura High School, I think? Anyway, I'm going to college next year, and will most likely study law afterwards. With my exchange program, I can apply for an internship to experience a field I want to study. I interviewed and got a job under Mr. Kuchiki."

"Wait, I go to Karakura. How come I haven't seen you around?"

He laughed, and pulled at his hair sheepishly. "Well, I haven't exactly started there yet. I start at the beginning of next week. We're in the same grade right?"

"Well, you look about my age. You're a junior?"

"So we are in the same grade. Who's your homeroom teacher?"

"Mr. Ukitake. Do you know yours yet?"

He grinned. "I think we're in the same homeroom."

"On Monday, if you want, I could show you around the school a little. Since we're in the same homeroom, we might be in some of the same classes as well."

"That would be great, Rukia. Thanks a bunch."

As he walked away, I realized that my face had dried. This guy had made me so happy while we talked that I completely forgotten about my tears and my brother. As he searched down the hall for Byakuya's room, I already considered him a friend. This strange, funky, almost scary guy who could turn out to be a big softie underneath all that muscle.

I smiled to myself. I was really eager for Monday.

**Ichigo POV**

I walked through the school gates, alone and late for my first class. Since Rukia had started to ditch me, I had felt strangely lonely all the time. I hated to admit it (it crushed my pride) but I missed my midget of a best friend. I knew she liked me. That couldn't screw up our relationship. But the problem had started when I mighthavepossibly started to like her. For months, it seemed like every time I looked at her, I didn't see my best friend anymore. I saw some petite, raven haired, brilliant girl who was actually a woman.

Even at her party, I had to do something for her. I baked her a cake, not caring if I seemed like some creepy, love-struck idiot. I played it off as a present from a best friend, and I think that's the way Rukia took it.

I still can't understand why she would kiss me back. I was drunk. I should have stopped what I did sooner. Everything I've ever heard claims that best friends liking each other is the end of any relationship they might have had. And I don't want to lose my 13-year long friendship with Rukia for anything. Even if it means I can't date her.

**Back to Rukia POV**

School on Monday was not exactly fun. Orihime was pissed, and had, of course, drawn her own conclusions about what had happened between me and Ichigo at my party. Even if what she inferred was completely true, I refused to give her the satisfaction of knowing she was right. She had apparently talked to many people who had been at my party, who had given her screwed up, amped up versions of what I had done while I was alone with Ichigo.

I was alone that morning. Ichigo and I had settled out of our morning cafe routine, so we didn't walk to school together. Momo was home sick and Soi Fon was still on her way to school when Orihime accosted me. I had no backup.

She danced over to me, swinging her auburn hair haughtily behind her. One hand flew up to flip the middle to one side, and then smoothed down the locks where they had messily fallen. New bracelets jangled down her wrists as they clashed with each other. She was dragging an unwilling Tatsuki by a tight grip on her wrist. Rangiku stood proudly a step behind the two, her face brighter than usual.

Orihime reached me, still clutching Tatsuki, whose eyes were downturned yet was fighting to pull her arm out of Orihime's hurtful grasp. She let go of Tatsuki, who finally slumped to one side, angry red nail marks marring her thin wrist. Then she did exactly what I expected her to do.

Orihime reached her arm out and slapped me hard, her bracelet hitting my nose. "You little bitch. How do you think you have any right to do things with Ichigo? You're a whiny, ugly witch who doesn't know when to back off someone else's man. That's it- you're a complete whore. I talked to people at your party. They told me all the stuff you and Ichigo got up to."

I found my voice. My cheek and nose still smarted where Orihime's hand had been. "And how would those random people know anything? They weren't in my room. Ichigo just gave me a birthday cake." I lied blatantly, hoping she didn't notice how my voice shook.

She faltered for a minute, Rangiku smirking behind her. "That's...not true. I know you're lying now, because all my sources say you willingly gave Ichigo your body. So, whore, you and I both know I'm right. You know everything you did wrong, so admit-"

Tatsuki slapped a hand over Orihime's mouth and forced her to turn to the side. Her voice solid, low, and even, Tatsuki spoke. "Orihime, shut up please. I don't think you should be harrassing Rukia. You don't have any definitive proof she did anything wrong." Using her powers of persuasion, Tatsuki was trying to both stay on Orihime's good side while protecting me. An undercurrent of anger she was trying to conceal was running through her eyes. I felt a surge of affection for the class president.

Orihime glared at her harshly. "And since when do you make any decisions in this group?" She meant for it to be a rhetorical question.

Tatsuki snapped. I saw veins pulsing in her throat, and a fire light up her eyes. She was furious. "Well, since freshman year, when the entire student body voted me for class president over you. Three years in a row I've been the one voted to run the show and make decisions. Not you." She noticed Orihime's eyes widen at the insult. Tatsuki continued. "You little-"

Orihime shoved Tatsuki hard onto the sidewalk, where she landed painfully on her ankle. As she fell, the sweet smell of cherry blossoms from her hair wafted by my nose in a split second. I heard a crack, and could see Tatsuki gasping in pain. Her face was clenched and she was trying hard not to cry in front of Orihime.  
Rangiku stepped forward in shock to try and help Tatsuki, but was held back by Orihime, who wanted to finish her speech to me.

Ignoring Tatsuki, Orihime stepped forward and jammed me against a wall. Her hair was ruffled, but her perfect composure was still intact. She reached out for my backpack, roughly unzipped it, and hurled the contents onto the ground, still keeping one hand on me. "Now, bitch. Ichigo deserves someone beautiful, talented, smart, popular, and perfect. He is a god to someone puny and ugly like you. I've already warned you to stay away from him, and you didn't. Now it looks like I'll be making up enough awful rumors about you and your friends that you'll all want to leave the country."

Leaning in close to my ear, she whispered, her voice barely higher than a sigh, "It's called payback, bitch."

Then she settled back again. "So. What do I do now. Do I punch you? That could mar your ugly face even more. Or I could-"

A rush of blond hair invaded my eyesight, and I blinked.

Tia had Orihime held back in a painfully tight grip. Her muscles clenched and her braids swung as she kept an angry Orihime under her control.

Behind her, Mila Rose was forcibly leading a stunned Rangiku away, while Apache and Sun Sun helped Tatsuki up.

Suddenly, Orihime was the one slammed against the brick wall. I just moved out of the way in time, my stunned brain barely comprehending what was happening. Tia's face was menacingly right in front of Orihime's. I had never seen Tia so angry before, and the sight was slightly awe-inspiring.

Tia began in a low voice so cold it could freeze the Equator. "You absolute bitch. So this is how you treat your so-called best friend. When she tries to stand up against you, you break her ankle? She was trying to help you so you wouldn't get in trouble. You little whore. You don't deserve a best friend like that Tatsuki kid. She wanted to set you straight."

Tia's voice went up an octave. "And hitting other people. For something you aren't even sure that they did. You really are low. No wonder so many people follow you. They're terrified that if they do anything against you, you'll crush them. You're such a little fucking bitch I can't even look at your ugly face."

Orihime had a few tears in her eyes from the pain of being shoved so hard, and the strangely horrified look on her face told me she finally realized how badly she had been acting. Tia's hands still held her in a death grip. Meeting Tia's ice-cold glare, Orihime asked, putting some confidence into her voice, "Tia, why are you doing this to me? Don't you like me? Maybe I did something wrong, but that doesn't give you the right to hurt me."

"Eat your own words hypocrite. You were the one hurting people you believed had done something wrong. And as for your question, the answer is no."

"Huh?" An incredibly puzzled look settled over Orihime's face.

"No. N-O. I hate you. You haven't been able to tell? Do you need it spelled out clearer so you can understand? I could crush you like a grape. Mentally or physically. I have more power in this school than you do, Miss Orihime."

Tia lowered her voice so much I could barely hear her next mocking words. "Doesn't it feel great to be on the receiving end of bullying?"

At this point I slipped away from the scene, gathering up the contents of my backpack Orihime had hurled off to the side. Shooting one last look back, I saw Orihime cowering under Tia's gaze.

_Damn bitch is finally getting what she deserves. _  
_

Still shaken up, I ran into Renji again in the hallway. I was surprised I hadn't seen him yet this morning. We exchanged the usual witty banter, and then walked down the hallway together. I led him to the principal's office so he could pick up his schedule and uniform, and he kept up a constant stream of conversation.

I was completely happy again. Renji had that weird ability to numb out any other feelings around me. My brain didn't let me focus on anything else around me. The stress and pain of this morning fell away as soon as Renji opened his mouth. All I could sense was him and his words, and the way he made me feel so constantly elated when I was with him. Just the confidant way he talked, his bright hair, the quick words spilling from his mouth made him different. I liked him a lot already.

I asked him how his visit with Byakuya was, completely surprised that I could speak about my brother without breaking down again. This comforting, stable guy was keeping all my worst emotions in check.

The bell for the first class rang loudly, interrupting my question and delaying his answer. He looked at me and grinned widely. "I'll tell you exactly what happened after school. When you come with me and we go to buy some ice cream. Okay?"

I nodded excitedly, not fully comprehending. "Okay."

"Now, we have to run to the office. I still don't know where it is, and you-"- he poked me in the chest- "have to lead me there quickly so you're not too late to class. Let's go!"Renji took off like a shot, dragging me by my wrist alongside him.

Funny. My wrist doesn't hurt anymore where Orihime grabbed it. I reversed our positions so I was the one dragging him. Obviously this boy was used to being in charge, but for the moment I had to change that. "Renji. You have no idea where you're going. If you lead me around, we're gonna get lost."

Fortunately, we got to the office without any major mishaps. My grip on his wrist never loosened.  
_

As soon as the bell rang signaling the end of the day, I headed out of my math classroom to my locker to throw my books and homework in my backpack. I sighed as I unconsciously yanked on the straps of the worn, colorfully patterned material. I had gotten this backpack with Hisana back when I was in second grade. And miraculously, the bag had survived until now. Unlike Hisana herself.

Renji was leaning casually on my locker, a flock of people surrounding his easygoing smile. Girls were leaning on his every word- they seem to like a guy who looks a bit dangerous- while popular guys were punching his arms playfully and cracking jokes.  
I decided that Renji must just inject that happiness and calm charisma I felt into everyone around him. People were laughing more than usual. When Renji threw his head back and snorted at a joke, the low and comforting sound struck my ears.

Smiling a little, I walked up to the group of people I normally never talked to, completely at ease. "Hey Renji."

"Rukia! I was waiting for you! Let's go!"

Ignoring the protests of the students hanging around him, he whipped me out the front school doors. Within two seconds, we were already out the school gate and onto the street.

We bumped in none other than Ichigo on our way out. I saw Ichigo's gaze tighten a little as he stared at Renji's grasp on my wrist. For one moment, I hoped that he didn't get the wrong impression about my and Renji's relationship. Then I decided I didn't care what Ichigo thought. I marched up to him, pulling Renji's hand.

"Renji. This is my...friend Ichigo. Ichigo, I haven't seen you for a while." I made sure to inject as much anger into my tone as was physically possible. "This is my new friend Renji. He just started at Karakura today."

When the two guys shook hands awkwardly, I couldn't lie to myself and say I wasn't disapointed. Half of me was hoping that Renji and Ichigo would engage in that cliche iron battle of wills in a handshake stuff. You know, when the guys fight over a girl and everything. I chastised myself for getting my hopes up. _You've known Renji for what. Three days? And you know for a fact Ichigo doesn't like you. Don't kid yourself._

But still, I couldn't help but wonder. And be a little disapointed.  
_

_Likable. That was the word for Renji_, I decided. He snagged other people into his whirlwind of words and emotions, and you couldn't help but be sucked in and enjoy the ride. His uniform looked good on him. Just like the shirt he was wearing at the hospital, his button down emphasized his tattoos. They looked friendly now somehow, but I wondered again how he had gotten a job with my straight-laced brother if he had those markings all over his body.

His iron grip on my hand as he dragged me away from Ichigo to the ice cream stand directly across the street from school was strangely comforting as well. The was the kind of guy who would fight for anything he believed in, and would never let me go. In that sense, his personality reminded me a ton of Ichigo's. There were so many similarities I had noticed between the two boys, even though I had only known Renji for a few days.

They both seemed stubborn, yet could light up everything around them. Their strong charisma drove others in, and they were confidant and smart and able to do anything. Everyone liked them. They had similar hair. They were friendly and fun.

My thoughts were interrupted when Renji handed me an ice cream cone, dripping with sprinkles. A strawberry chunk floated down my fingers, melting out of the ice cream. I licked it away before it could fall onto the ground, and then started eating my way around the huge mound of creamy sweetness. Yum. Ice cream rocked.

Renji was making short work of his mint chocolate chip cone, licking quickly around the edges before biting into the wafer of the cone. His ice cream was long gone by the time I finished.

I felt peaceful again. I didn't know if it was Renji's presence or the ice cream floating around in my stomach, but my mind was calm. I breathed in Renji's scent- a mixture of something manly mixed with something spicy and sweet- and exhaled deeply.

We started to talk. At first, our conversation revolved around life in Karakura ( I recommended some good restaurants), but then it turned to school life and activities. Renji, it seemed, had had a good day. He had gotten great teachers in his schedule, been invited to join three clubs, and was planning to try out for the lacrosse team.

"So," he began, "Do you play any sports?"

"Well, I used to be on the tennis team and the cheerleading squad."

"Used to be?" His face was confused.

"Yeah, I quit cheerleading once I got into high school. I loved it, but the girls got too bitchy for me. Orihime, the most popular girl in school, and her best friend Rangiku are on the team. They enjoy making my life hell."

He didn't press the Orihime topic. Had he met her yet? Even in one day, he must have at least heard about 'gorgeous, perfect' Orihime.

And strangely, he felt like a guy I could trust with talking about my problems with Orihime. I had kept it a secret from everyone else, but Renji, who I had known for so little time, seemed like a guy I could vent to. He was the type of guy who would keep a secret, not tell me how to solve my problems, and just listen and understand.

"Why'd you quit tennis?"

"Huh?" I was shaken out of my thoughts. "Oh, because I realized I was completely uncoordinated. I wasn't too bad at tennis, but I knew I would never play varsity. Plus, Byakuya wanted me to have more time for my schoolwork. So I quit last year."

"I used to play tennis, but my parents had me choose between tennis and lacrosse. They thought I spent too much time on sports and not enough time on school. Then they sent me away to boarding school, and so I got to do whatever the hell I wanted. I started playing tennis again with some of my friends. We should play sometime. I want to see for myself just how uncoordinated you really are."

"I'm always looking to make a fool of myself," I said sarcastically, biting back other comments.

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot what I wanted to ask you. I heard some guys talking about junior prom coming up? What's that about?"

"Well, we've been working on preparations all year. Student Council and Class Reps booked a hotel for the night, we've been getting decorations ready with our class, and the DJ is gonna be awesome." I was trying to be enthusiastic. Honestly though, I was excited. But I wouldn't be going with Ichigo.

"Well, I was wondering. Do you wanna go with me? I don't know too many people here yet, but you and I are friends, right?"

I looked up at his carefree, smiling face and instantly felt great. Like someone had injected that same happiness into me. My mind and my limbs immediately strengthened. Fuck Ichigo. He was too much of a dick to see how great of a person and a friend I was. He was too much of an asshole to at least apologize for kissing me and leading me on when I had made it clear I liked him. "Yeah, of course we're friends Renji. Actually, I feel like I've known you for a really long time."

"So, will you go with me?"

I barely even thought of Ichigo when I said yes.

**Don't worry, everything will right itself in the end! heehee Operation JEALOUSY! (AKA MAKE ICHIGO SO JEALOUS HE HAS TO TAKE RUKIA!)**

**Hopefully, the short little Ichigo POV cleared a few things up. It's not that Ichigo doesn't reciprocate Rukia's feelings for him, he just doesn't know how to maintain a best friend relationship alongside a girlfriend relationship with Rukia.**

**For now, please don't kill me for what I wrote. Make better use of your hands and REVIEW!**

**UNTIL NEXT CHAPTER LUVVVIEESS**


	8. Author's Note

**Author's note**

**I'm so sorry I haven't updated in so long! My life is so busy right now with work and writing essays and all that jazz, I feel like I'm being turned inside out. In about 2 weeks, I will have some time to write again, and I will publish the next chapter of All Natural then. **

**To all my readers, thank you a million times for being so supportive and awesome. I promise I will make up my long absence to you. **

**Love, sparkleflower :D**

**P.S. If you are a die-hard Naruto addict in addition to loving Bleach (like ME!), then check out my profile for a youtube link to a clip from Naruto Rock Lee Spinoff Series. You will laugh at Neji's stupidity/hilarity and Tenten's aggravation**.


	9. Prom Nights Enough Said

Mehhhhh! I'm so sorry I haven't updated this (crappy, strange, freaking awesome) story in so long! I'm a huge loser, I know. So please, go on. Read. Hopefully this chapter makes up for such a long wait.

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN BLEACH. TRUST ME, IF I COULD AFFORD TO BUY IT, I WOULD HAVE BOUGHT MYSELF A REALLY GREAT CAR FIRST.

**Chapter 8 **

Momo's loud, shrieking voice ringing in my ears was the first thing I heard the morning of junior prom. As usual, she sounded too hyper and too eager, and, after being woken at such an early hour, I could feel my bones groaning and my teeth clenching as she poked me annoyingly and jabbed in between my shoulder blades.

"RUKIA, RUKIA, WAKE UP! WAKIE WAKIE THE SLEEPY BABY! I'VE MADE YOU EGGS AND-"

I rolled over and rolled a pillow around my ears, sufficiently blocking her out. I could still feel her hands and fingernails dancing all over my back, but at least I couldn't hear her anymore.

I felt the pillow snatched away from my head, so I was left clutching at thin air. Holding the pillow triumphantly, she switched to whacking me on the back of my head with the palm of her hand as she continually chanted in a strange baby voice.

"RUKIA!", she screeched, louder than before (if that was possible). "WAKE UPPPP! IF YOU WANT TO FIND A DRESS (A HOLY ACT FOR TEENAGE GIRLS WHICH YOU STUPIDLY, IN RUKIA FASHION, LEFT UNTIL THE LAST MOMENT) THEN WE HAVE TO LEAVE RIGHT NOW! BEFORE OTHER GIRLS LIKE YOU SHOW UP AT THE STORES!"

Turning my face to look at her and angling my mouth so I could speak relatively normally, I told her, "You know, insulting me isn't gonna want to make me get up any faster."

"WELL, IF YOU WOULD JUST GET UP THE FIRST TIME I CALLED YOU, I WOULDN'T NEED TO INSULT YOU!"

Staring at me again, she said in a calmer voice, "Oh. You're up now. Perfect, my job is done. Come downstairs when you're finished getting dressed."

I moaned and reached out to snatch my pillow back. "C'mon Momo, I'm really tired. Can't this wait until later?"

Glaring at me, she said, "You know Rukia, I have Ichigo on my speed dial. One wrong move and I can call him and confess that you have dreams about him every night."

"I do?"

"You will when I tell him that you do. Now get up, and you can save yourself a ton of embarrassment. Starting right now, we've got a lot of work to do today to make you a beautiful fairy princess." Her short skirt swished as she walked out of the doorway to my room.

Extremely scared that Momo might actually call Ichigo, I shoved my comforter off to the side and swung my legs around the edge of the bed. "Fine, fine. I'm up. Do I have time for a shower?"

I heard her scream back a reply from down the hall. "Why take one now? You can take one in a few hours before you dress for prom!" I heard pans and pots being banged around the sink. "Oh yeah, I forgot to mention!" she added on. "Soi Fon's coming over later to help make you pretty!"

Good. I was going to need all the help I could get. When it came to makeup, I was the biggest novice out there.

Washing my face while leaning over the bathroom sink, I sighed. I didn't even know who Ichigo was going to prom with tonight. I already knew most of the dance would be spent craning my neck to see if he was coming rather than paying attention to Renji.

Drying off my hands on a towel, I examined my face again in the mirror. Small nose. Too large eyes. A small zit accumulating on my hair line. At least it wasn't too visible. Eyebrows I hadn't plucked in about a month and a half. Messy black hair (in a bedhead) that fell all over my face, obscuring my features.

Why would anyone think I was pretty? I was scaring myself at this point with my insecurities. I was so ugly. It's no wonder Ichigo didn't like me.

Momo poked her head into the bathroom, a frying pan in her hand, as I pulled my face back from the mirror. "Rukia, you still aren't dressed yet? Hurry up, or I'm gonna eat without you!" She gave me a strangely comforting little smirk, like she knew exactly how I had been thinking about myself, as she turned away to head back into the kitchen.

I smiled at her back slightly. "Thanks for the reminder Momo. I'll be down in a minute."

Ten minutes later, I was dressed, toast dangling out of my mouth, my stomach already full from the fresh omelet Momo had shoved down my throat. She herded me into her car (parked a little ways down the street) and shoved me into the passenger seat. Once she was behind the wheel, she carefully locked all the car doors from the inside.

"Momo, what's that for? Wouldn't you wanna lock the doors from the outside?" She turned her head a little towards me, her fingers tapping on the top of the wheel. "Well, I think in this neighborhood, worrying about rapists and gunmen getting into the car isn't really an issue. The bigger problem is worrying about how to keep you from escaping the car when we're halfway to the dress shop."

I hadn't even thought of escaping shopping until this point, resigned as I was to my fate. I told her that, and she just threw her head back and let out a soft laugh. "Oh Rukia, you're too funny! You must have some escape plan ready and waiting. In all the years I've known you, you've always hated shopping, especially for a fancy dress."

"Well", I started, looking at her a little sheepishly, "I was thinking...maybe...just a little...if I got a good enough dress maybe Ichigo would look at me again?" I ended it in a question, my eyes a little unsure and slightly downcast in embarrassment.

Momo slammed her hands down on the wheel. "Rukia. I'm only gonna say this once, so listen up. YOU. ARE. PERFECT. And it's not worth being down about how you look, cuz you can't really change that. A dress is gonna help you look fancy and all that jazz, but at the same time, you've just gotta let yourself shine through that dress. Okay?"

I nodded mutely. A dress would help. She definitely said something like that.

As if to keep me from thinking any more, Momo leaned over and flipped on her brand new, surround sound stereo. Ever since she bought her car, she had saved like a maniac for a new stereo system to replace the crappy one already in the car. Recently, she had purchased the most expensive model known to man, and got it installed quickly.

I think it's safe to say she's obsessed with it.

A random, happy pop song blasted out. Momo rolled down the windows. I could feel the wind whipping against my face, just like I did when I rode my bike. We were just two best friends, doing teenager-y stuff. My weird mood slid away, and I decided to just enjoy the ride.

_!_

After Momo spent another 15 minutes searching for the perfect parking spot, we finally made it into the dress shop. This place was Momo's favorite, and I had tagged along here on many occasions.

Silk and modern lace dresses lined the windows. Fairy tail frills poked out from behind hangers. Gorgeous colors gleamed from every corner. For once, I really took a look around and actually thought hard about what dress I would get. Usually, I let Momo pick for me, because I knew how bad my fashion sense was. But for tonight, I wanted to dress myself and find that perfect dress.

Momo was flitting from rack to rack, poking every material and periodically screaming at me, "Try this one on!" or "Oo, I love this one!". I ignored her as I walked around silently and pulled my hands through different fabrics.

I spent a while tugging out hangers and staring at colors, but nothing seemed to hit me. I had picked out lace, silk, frills, short, long, yellow, green, but nothing seemed to be 'that dress' that I knew would be perfect.

I stopped short on one dress, hidden behind a lacy skirt. I couldn't pull my eyes away. Pulling the dress out with its hanger, I stared at it head to toe.

Momo rushed over and pounced on me. I stared at her from over my shoulder. Her face was shocked. "Rukia. For once, you have chosen your own clothes- and I approve. If you don't try that gorgeous, completely Rukia dress on, I will never let you leave this store."

"I was planning on trying it on, even if you didn't threaten me."

Momo pushed me towards the fitting room. "So go put it on! There's no sense in waiting around. Hurry up!"

The dress reached all the way to my toes, and was tightly wrapped around my body until the long tulle train hit at my legs. It was the exact same violet bordering on blue shade as my eyes. The fabric sparkled as I swished it. A lace pattern coated the entire chest part of the dress, and fell around the tulle. It was a sensual princess dress, perfect for a sexed-up Cinderella to wear to her ball.

Even with the tightness of the top, the dress seemed so elegant and refined. It made me feel good while I was wearing it, and I normally hated dresses like this. It had its own air of sexy seductress princess (the biggest oxymoron ever) mixed with a goddess.

"Momo, I'm buying this dress. How much is it?"

(Rukia's dress

www. frenchnovelty TD16714/Tiffany+Designs+Lace+and+Tulle+Mermaid+Prom+Dress+ ) (DELETE THE SPACES AND ADD A .COM AFTER FRENCHNOVELTY)

_!_  
Back at my apartment, Momo threw down the random shopping bags she had somehow picked up in the short time we had been at the mall. Accessories and makeup spilled out, making a small heap on the wood floor next to the couch. Looking over at me, she announced, "So, Rukia, we should start getting ready soon." She continued muttering to herself, "She'll need a complete facial, and it will take an hour or more to do her hair right, and with that zit, it will take a while to cover it up..."

I glared once at her. "You know, I'm right here. I can hear every word you're saying."

She looked up startled, as if shaken out of a trance. "Oh, was I talking to myself again? Well, while I set up your dress and get the makeup on the counter, you can figure out what we can eat for dinner. Salad would be great, cuz we can't be bloated for tonight, but I guess grilled chicken would be okay too. Absolutely no pizza or grease in any way! Oh, and don't forget, Soi Fon's coming in a little while, so order something for her too."

With that, she disappeared down the hall, slamming the bathroom door behind her. I heard objects being clanked down on the counter. Then the shower water was started, and within a few minutes I heard her howling away to some pop songs under the water.

I sighed. Momo had forgotten that it was only 3 o'clock in the afternoon. We didn't need to start getting ready four hours in advance. I began looking through the kitchen drawer where I kept takeout menus for the number to a good, moderately healthy restaurant that Momo would approve of. Eventually, I located the menu for a slightly expensive salad bar in downtown that would deliver the food at around five. Feeling impish, I nearly ordered Momo the fattiest, most high-calorie salad offered, but decided against it at the last minute. A moment or two of fun over my joke was not worth Momo complaining for the next few hours about how fat she was.

How long was Momo's shower going to be anyway? At the snail's pace she was showering, she wouldn't be done until we had to leave for the night.

Momo finally came back down the hall, wearing my spare fluffy bath robe with a towel wrapped around her head over her wet hair. "I hope I didn't use all the hot water Rukia. I wasn't too long, was I?"

I felt like being a little nice. "Compared to how long you usually shower, that one was relatively short. Are you just really excited for tonight or something? Cuz you know, you're getting ready four hours before we have to leave."

Momo's eyes lit up. "Of course I'm excited! It's Toshiro and my first real, dress-up dance together! It will be amazing!" She narrowed her eyes a little. "Soi Fon's going with Izuru, right? I'm still surprised he didn't ask Rangiku. Who knew that little Izuru Kira had a thing for our Soi Fon?"

I had not heard about this, and felt slightly ashamed. I hadn't even bothered to ask who one of my best friends was going with. In the rush and with this past week, it had completely slipped my mind. "I didn't even know who she was going with anyone, I guess. I'm so stupid."

Momo sighed. "Don't make a big deal out of it. She doesn't think it's anything special. Plus, Shuhei already asked Rangiku before Izuru could even get to her." Then she started to lighten the mood again. "And you're going with the super hot new boy, Renji Abarai. I meant to ask you before- you guys don't have anything going on, right?"

"Hell no, Momo. I just met the guy a week ago. And we are definitely just friends. He's a great guy, but he's not the right one for me. More of best friend material than anything else."

Seeing Momo looking slightly put out after this comment, I quickly added, "Not that he would be my best friend, seeing as I already have you and Soi Fon."

Her mood brightened instantly. Then she dropped the bomb. "So...do you know who Ichigo's going with? I am a little surprised that you guys are still fighting."

"I have no idea. I haven't spoken to him since we fought." Looking at her, I groaned. "Momo, what am I going to do tonight? I already know I'm gonna try to ignore him and then I'm gonna see him dancing with some girl and I'm going to hate her and then hate him even more and then I'm gonna notice how hot he looks dressed up and then-"

Momo cut me off, putting her hand over my mouth. When I tried to lick her palm, she shrieked and jumped away. Maintaining a safe distance from my tongue, she yanked my arm and made me stand up.

"That's why we have to make you as pretty as possible in these next few hours."

Within thirty minutes, I was herded in and out of the shower, my dress was laid out on my bed, and Momo was hard at work finishing my homemade facial.

"There," she said, peeling off one last cucumber and wiping a bit of avocado scrub away, "now it's time to put your dress on. Then we have time to eat as soon as Soi Fon gets here, and hen we can spend a ton of time on makeup. Sounds good?"

Walking over to my bed, I grabbed the dress, slid off my towel, and slipped the cool silken fabric and lace over my body. The dress still hugged my body, still made me look not completely flat chested, still added some curve to my too-slim figure. The tulle and beautiful train at the bottom was just how I remembered from this morning.

Suddenly, Momo screamed. "What am I thinking? This is a disaster!"

Too absorbed in my own reflection in my mirror, I mumbled something unintelligible in reply. She planted her face directly between mine and the mirror, so I was forced to look at her. Annoyed, I said, "What now, Momo?"

"You can't eat with that gorgeous princess dress on! You'll get salad dressing all over it, the way you eat, you pig!"

"I am not a pig! I just happen to eat fast and sometimes food accidentally gets on my clothes!"

Momo scoffed. "You, not piggy? I don't have time to buy you a new dress when this one gets all messy." She motioned for me to lift my arms up. "Okay, dress off. I'll even help, cuz it's a little tight."

I hugged my arms to my sides, ensuring she couldn't pull the dress off my body. "Momo, I promise I'll be careful. Just please let me wear the dress for dinner! I don't wanna take it off."

She registered my stubborn look, and hesitatingly (and surprisingly to me) agreed. She must have realized that I really couldn't take the dress off.

At this point, the dress was the only thing holding me up. Even Momo couldn't comfort me any more. The stress over Ichigo and my fear that he would be snatched up by some other girl made me sick to my stomach. The time we hadn't spoken had begun to shatter me into pieces. I loved having him around. Ichigo was a guy who I had always been able to count on before, and not having him around was turning me into a wreck.

I needed him. Even if not as a boyfriend, just as a best friend. I wanted him back so badly. And if he became my boyfriend in the process, all the better.

The dress made me feel unstoppable. It fed me confidence. I was sexy, dangerous, and an amped-up version of myself. With that gorgeous train and tightness of the lace, I could do anything, ensnare anyone. Even Ichigo.

Momo began to slap makeup onto my face from behind, her hands wielding brushes. I whirled around to face her. "Momo! I thought we were gonna wait until after dinner to do makeup!" I began to panic. "I don't want to wait around for three hours in this cakey makeup!"

Momo rolled her eyes obviously. "Calm down, sugar plum. I just thought, since you wanted to keep the dress on, why not go the whole shebang and just finish all your makeup now? Then, you can eat and not worry about having to get ready later."

The way she was brandishing her eyeshadow pallets and mascara, I knew she would cake makeup onto my face now no matter what I said. So I did the least painless thing and gave in, surrendering my face to her practiced hands. She looked at me almost happily. "Finally Rukia. You gave in to the power of makeup!"

I grumbled back, "Don't remind me."

_!_

By 6:30, Soi Fon had arrived, already dressed but just needing touches of makeup, and the three of us had feasted on grilled chicken salads, hold the dressing. I couldn't resist looking at myself in the small kitchen mirror again. Momo had kicked me out of my bedroom and the bathroom, after, she claimed, I had already "stared at myself too much". Until she finished up with Soi Fon, I was not allowed back to my room.

I heard high heels echoing down the hallway and, in about three seconds, my eyes met two stunning girls. My best friends.

Soi Fon looked gorgeous. Her hair was out of its normal long braids, and hung in soft black waves down to her waist, curled just at the ends. Her eyes popped, outlined with doll-like lashes and no eyeshadow or liner, and her flawless skin gleamed with just the tiniest hint of rosy blush. Her natural looking lipstick, that perfect shade of pinky-red, shone on her full lips. She looked, again, like a tiny, beautiful porcelain doll. Her dress- a floor length, floaty sea-foam green number with non-tacky sequins and layers of silky fabric, merely added to the look.

(Soi Fon's dress www. outblush women/fashion/dresses-skirts/elegant-scoop-floorlength-prom-dress/) (DELETE THE SPACES AND ADD A .COM AFTER OUTBLUSH)

Momo, on the other hand, was her exact opposite. Her glossy hair was tied up into a high, sexy ponytail, and her skin sparkled and gleamed like she had sprayed shimmer all over her body. Her makeup was smoky and looked perfect with the fierce pout she was wearing.

Her dress- words couldn't describe it. It was sex and partying and clubbing all mixed together with fire and spice. Deep red, short, so tight it molded to every contour of her body. A few sequins clung to the wrap part around her sides. She was the only girl I could think of who could pull off a short dress at prom.

www. simplydresses shop/viewitem-PD731927 (Momo's dress) (DELETE THE SPACES AND ADD A .COM AFTER SIMPPLYDRESSES)

I stared at them for a full minute before my mind was un-befuddled enough to form words. "Wow. What happened to you two?"

Momo squealed loudly. "I know, right! We look so hot! Time to blow those unsuspecting boys out of the water!" She enthusiastically high-fived an almost shy-looking Soi Fon.

She lost her shyness and giggled when I said, "Well, we all know you'll be blowing something else tonight, Momo. What else are you gonna do, dressed up like that?"

Momo glared playfully at me. "Oh come on Rukia, a dance is, like, the grossest place to do anything like that. I'm just gonna dance with my Shiro all night long!" She danced off happily around my kitchen, humming softly to herself.

I sidled over to Soi Fon. "Did she drink something when she was in my room? She's acting even stranger than usual. Or did I miss something?"

Soi Fon laughed back in my ear. "No, she's just super excited to have Shiro see her like this. She really wants to be all sexy and cool tonight. She told me", here she took a gulp of water, "that she really wants Shiro to get knocked off his feet. You know, be tongue-tied as soon as he sees her and all that jazz."

The doorbell rang suddenly and both of us jumped. Momo, as she was still busy, didn't even react and continued dancing. I hopped over to the door, only to find Izuru standing there with a bouquet of flowers. Soi Fon shyly (why? when was this girl ever shy?) walked over to meet him in the doorway. Staring directly at her, Izuru slowly handed her the flowers, being careful to touch her hand as she took them.

Izuru looked great. His hair- I had never noticed how it was that perfect, hot-surfer boy color of blond- was messy but not casual. His tux was incredibly neat and fit him perfectly. He had obviously spent a long time getting ready. My best friend was incredibly lucky tonight.

Soi Fon blushed and continued to stare straight at Izuru as she leaned her nose down and smelled the fragrant flowers in her hand. The tips of his ears, I now noticed, were slowly reddening from the gaze she had on his face.

When the fuck did this happen? I wondered to myself. Since when were Soi Fon and freakin' Izuru this close? Did i really miss something this major?

I backed out of the room, closely followed by Momo, as the two lovebirds continued to stare at each other. "Hey Momo," I hissed at her. "Has Soi Fon said anything about Izuru? I thought she didn't care about him! Does she actually like him?"

"Well, yeah, you idiot. She lied when she said she didn't care- she was trying to sound all macho like normal. I thought she told you already that she liked him."

Wow. This was a major development. I really hadn't paid attention to anything but Ichigo, Renji, and my own problems this past week. Soi Fon usually told me everything about her skimpy love life. Maybe she had told me and I just hadn't been listening.

"Sorry, Momo. I guess I just haven't been into stuff like that this week."

She shook her head and smiled, her eyes crinkling. "Why are you apologizing? You've had a lot on your mind. We didn't miss you this week or anything, don't worry. And Soi Fon still loves you- she just wasn't able to find you this week to talk about Izuru."

"Well, okay then. I'll just talk to her once she detaches her eyes from him." I turned my eyes back to Momo's dress. "Will you give me a twirl? Show me what you're gonna do once Shiro shows up."

Momo twirled around giddily once, her tight dress not flowing one inch from her body, before she gave me huge bedroom eyes and popped her lips sensually. Then her face reverted back to its normal impish, happy smile.

I giggled. "As soon as Shiro sees that look, I can't even tell what he's gonna do."

Just then, the doorbell rang again, and the sound echoed throughout the house. In the kitchen, Soi Fon and Izuru separated, and she waved goodbye to me as he escorted her, her hand delicately placed in his arm, out of the house.

Momo peeked through the window, and, seeing it was Toshiro, threw open the door and jumped into his arms before he could blink. I was instantly surprised at her bold, childish action. As she pulled away from her lung-crushing hug, I noticed Toshiro's crisp, flawless tux, his perfectly soft skin, and his strange white hair, looking hot and messy as usual. The expression on his face told me he was a little wary of Momo at the moment after she had nearly killed him, but at the same time his gaze was soft as he kept his eyes on her. As she escorted Toshiro further into my apartment, dragging him into my living room, I snagged her arm and pulled her aside. She merrily waved Toshiro on and motioned for him to sit on the couch while she talked with me. "Hey, Momo, what happened to the sexy eyes you were going for?"

She laughed cheesily. "Well, I saw him looking so hot in his tux and I couldn't resist acting all little-girly and hugging him as tight as I could! There's plenty of time for the other stuff when we're dancing."

I groaned. At the last school dance, Momo had nearly gotten herself kicked out of the room for "extremely close and inappropriate dancing" with Toshiro, according to the many teachers who had lined up to watch her and shake their heads at her behavior. I looked up to the ceiling and gave a silent prayer that that wouldn't happen tonight.

Momo bounced off and landed in Toshiro's lap on the couch, where they talked quietly about something I couldn't hear. I had no idea where Izuru had taken Soi Fon- they had probably already slipped out of the house and into his car by now.

So I sat at a wooden chair at my kitchen table, careful not to wrinkle the dress or soil the train on the ground, and waited for Renji to show up. Momo poked her head out of the living room and asked if she and Shiro could leave for the dance, or if I wanted them to wait. I told them to leave. Renji would show up soon.

And not five minutes after Toshiro's black car had pulled out of the driveway did Renji pull up.

He escorted me out the door like a true gentleman, cracked a few jokes that already had me gasping for air through my insane laughter, and held my arm to stabilize me as I hopped into his car. The radio happened to play one of my favorite bands the ride to the dance, and Renji and I bopped our heads and talked about our tastes in music. When we arrived at the hotel where the dance was taking place, he slid my hand through the crook of his arm to take me inside properly.

And even though I felt his warmth and smelled his sweet skin and felt his arm against my hand, I couldn't help but feel a little empty. Still, my mind and body couldn't-wouldn't- react to any boy the way it did for Ichigo. I didn't know if I wanted to develop a crush on Renji. I knew he just considered us friends. Maybe I wanted to react a little to his touch and his laughter, forget just a bit about Ichigo, and start something new with someone else.

And so, even thought I was in my sexy princess dress and wore a smile as I giggled with my date, I still didn't feel whole. I was cheating Renji out of the fantastic evening he, as such a great guy, deserved. Still pining for a boy who obviously didn't love me back, and forcing myself to try and feel. As we moved towards the front entrance of the hotel, my feelings just got stronger. I wanted to see Ichigo. I wanted to have Ichigo.

Renji, thankfully, didn't seem to notice. Or if he did, he was nice and didn't say anything. His warm arm was still looped around my hand to hold it in place, and the feelings became comforting.

I forcibly cleared my mind and tried to focus on not getting distracted on anything but Renji. Before I knew it, I was inside the dance hall, music was blaring around my ears, and Renji was pulling me up to dance beside a hundred other couples in bright dresses and fancy tuxedos.

It was a fast song. I surprised myself by actually being able to move my body in something resembling a fast dance in my dress. Renji gradually put his arms on my hips and pulled me into his chest, so we were semi-grinding. But when I looked at his face, there was no lust or horniness like any other teenage boy. He looked calm and friendly. He smiled down at me (he was just so much taller!) and I couldn't help but smile back at his cheery face. This boy, even in the short time I had known him, could always make me feel better than anyone else.

I realized this was fun for Renji. Grinding in a friendly way. With his friend.

And with a shock, I finally realized that just having fun with him was a great way to take my mind off of Ichigo. So my mind stopped resisting, I fell into a hazy fog, and I let Renji lead me into the next dance, where he held me a little closer.

The next time I checked my phone, I realized over an hour had already passed. "Holy shit!" I shouted over the loud music to Renji. "What have we been doing for so long? It feels like it's been five minutes!"

He laughed freely. "Well, I know dancing definitely helps get your mind off of things. I think we both just zoned out for a while. When I dance, my body definitely goes into autopilot."

He continue chuckling to himself, and his laughter was contagious. Soon I joined in, and the two of us looked like a pair of idiots, laughing for absolutely no reason. It felt so good to throw my head back and let loose.

Even the sight of Orihime, dressed in the tightest dress known to man, grinding with her senior date and an already drunk Rangiku, wasn't enough to hold me back.

I continued laughing, showing no signs of stopping, until I saw two beautiful people enter the room.

Oh shit.

Tatsuki was flawless as usual. Her perfect pixie cut was adorned with so many sparkling jewels I could see them clearly from as far away as I was. (A/N: Think Keira Knightley's hair at the ball in Pride and Prejudice movie). She was wearing a long, strapless, pale yellow dress with a few ruffles in the front. It was simple, gorgeous, and just so Tatsuki that I couldn't tear my eyes away. Her lack of thick makeup, just some barely noticeable lipstick and mascara, simply made her stand out more against the crowd. A small diamond necklace adorned her neck, and blent perfectly with the entire outfit, fit for a queen.

www . prom-dresses. kaltsum yellow-prom-dresses-13898357/ (2nd dress down on the page) (DELETE THE SPACES AND A .COM AFTTER KALTSUM)

And who was with her, you may ask? Who was the lucky guy to have this beautiful girl as his date?

Well. There was only one guy I knew who could be her date, with an attitude and looks to rival hers. And when he stepped forward into the light and took Tatsuki's hand, escorting her onto the floor, I felt my heart drop into my stomach.

Of course Ichigo had to get the best date possible.

_!_

I couldn't focus on Renji. I hadn't even paid attention to him in a while. It was like there was a fog in my ears, obscuring everything except for what Ichigo and Tatsuki were laughing about, twenty feet away. I could only see their lips moving to form words, and yet still tried to listen harder and figure out what they were saying.

Tatsuki was drinking something, and from here I couldn't tell if it was alcohol or not. Ichigo had no glass in his hands, something I was a little surprised at. She giggled and lightly punched Ichigo's arm in his tux. He laughed at her antics and smiled down at her jewel-covered hair.

How could he look so utterly perfect? His bright hair gleamed on the floor, and when he laughed the orange color caught the reflecting cross hatches of light. His amber eyes jumped out against his tanned skin. From here, I could see how fitting the tux was to his ripped body, and how it clung to his skin in all the right places, showing off some rippling muscles when he moved. He looked sexy as hell.

Life really wasn't fair. He had to look like that tonight, with another date? I felt my previous control over my thoughts slipping away, until I was back to the emotions I had started the night with. I tore my eyes away from him before he noticed me staring, and tried my hardest to focus back on dancing with Renji. I at least owed Renji that much.

You know that old saying, about how you can feel someone staring at you from behind? Well, it didn't happen for me. I never felt Ichigo's eyes on me. To be honest, it disappointed me. It would have been a little ego-boosting for him to just stare.

And just like that, my rapidly waining confidence over my purple princess dress slipped right out the window. I couldn't impress the one guy I wanted to. I couldn't-

"Rukia, are you alive?"

Renji's concerned voice rang in my ears. He held out a hand to steady me a little, as if afraid I would fall.

My head did feel a little woozy. "Can we go sit outside for a minute? I think I need a break from dancing."

Taking my hand, Renji lead me out to a large balcony overlooking a beautiful garden in the back of the hotel. Chairs were placed everywhere with the best vantage points of the jewel-like, brilliantly colored roses that bloomed everywhere. Renji sat me down at a chair near the stairs down to the garden, and put his large hands on my shoulders. His hands were warm and comforting on my skin, and calmed my mind. My concerns slipped away from his touch, as he began to massage my shoulders slightly. When he pulled away and put his face next to mine to talk to me, the comforted feeling slipped away a little, thought I could still feel his aura next to my skin.

"Rukia," he started, "don't worry about Ichigo. I've seen you distracted all night. And I know the way you normally act around him. You like him right?"

"Huh?" was all that came out of my mouth. Was I really that obvious?"

"Rukia. Listen to me. If you like him, you've just gotta go for it."

I interrupted him. "I tried! I tried so hard and he just kept pushing me away! I told him I liked him and he told me he didn't know how he felt! Renji. I don't think he likes me back! He can't!"

Renji chuckled. "You are so dense. Don't you know what a guy means when he says he doesn't know his feelings?" Here he scratched his head sheepishly. "Well, I guess you wouldn't cuz you're not a guy. But anyway, when Ichigo told you that, he was just confused. He likes you a lot, but had no experience with falling in love with a girl he was so close to. We boys are immature by nature, and our first instinct is to defend ourselves. He was just trying to sort himself out first."

"Really? That's it? And I made such a big deal out of what an asshole he was?" Then another thought shot through my mind. "So he does like me after all!"

"Most likely, yes." Renji turned around, his tone instantly becoming more playful. "Well, look who it is. The man of the minute. We were just talking about you."

Without turning around, I could feel who had just walked up. After not being around him for so long, my body was starved for his presence. All of my hairs stood up on end, as if they could feel that this was the closest I'd been to Ichigo in a while. I slowly turned my head around, and met his beautiful eyes. I hadn't truly looked at those eyes since- how long had it been again? With Renji's previous words echoing in my brain, I felt my unreasonable anger at Ichigo slip away faster than it had appeared in the first place. My nerves bounced in my stomach like crickets, not just butterflies, as I walked the few paces slowly over to where the two boys were standing.

As Renji slipped away, Ichigo formally, and with a small hint of awkwardness, held his arm out to me. "You want to go for a walk?"

I slipped my hand through the offered crook of his arm and smiled slightly. "Yes, I'd like that." My other hand held the train of my dress as we gracefully descended the stairs down to the garden.

The night mist sparkled across every leaf, every flower my eyes found. It was a warm night, and the air curved around me like a silk glove. Our winding path was only illuminated by the sprinkling of stars across the black sky. I found myself staring at the leaves, whose green color I could barely see, and sniffing the air to catch the faint scent of crushed flowers on the path.

We walked through a labyrinth of roses in silence for some time, before Ichigo spoke. "I like your dress. Did you buy it today?"

He liked my dress. The feeling savored through me. It was worth all the preparation just for those four words. "How did you know I bought it today?"

He laughed, carefree like he always was. "Rukia, I know you too well." Then he turned me around and put his hands on my shoulders. "Christ, how long have we known each other? Our entire lives? I should have known better than to make you angry."

"Continue. Is this an apology?"

"Yes. Rukia, I'm so sorry I hurt you and didn't tell you how I felt. How I feel." He took a deep, shuddering inhalation. "How can I say this? I might as well cut right to the chase, Um-" He picked a bright red rose, the most vibrant, lively color I had ever seen, and held it up, his fingers trembling slightly. "You're like this rose. You are smart and beautiful and have the brightest color of anyone I've ever seen. And I wanted to try and peel away every layer of petals and find out everything about you before I tried anything else. Though, that was kind of unnecessary. We were already best friends to begin with."

"So-"

"So, I guess what I'm trying to say is what I couldn't say before. I really like you Rukia. More than as my best friend. So, do you forgive me?"

My anger had ebbed away as soon as he started to speak. I had known I would forgive him as soon as he said anything. He was Ichigo, after all. "Of course I forgive you, you idiot. I missed you too much when we weren't talking."

"I really like you, and I'm so sorry I couldn't tell you before, but I wanted to make sure how much I liked you before I tried anything else, and-"

"Ichigo. Shut up." And then I kissed him. He held me around my waist, the rose crushed in between us, as I tilted my head to kiss him a little deeper. My hands wound into his bright hair, and his other hand found a place on my back.

His tongue reached in to play a little with mine, and I agreed, mine dancing with his until it felt sore and tired. His mouth tasted the same- minus the alcohol- as it had on the night of my birthday. The taste felt so right and perfect to me that I nearly screamed.

Just hearing him say those words, and apologize to me and mean it, I don't even know what it did to me. I just knew I would already forgive my best friend no matter what he did. I was tired of being apart from Ichigo, and sick of ignoring him and feeling hurt and angry.

I pulled my face away from his and breathed heavily. Putting my hand flat against his chest, I could feel his heart racing. When I stared at him, I saw nothing but sincerity, happiness, and something else I couldn't quite define in his eyes.

He leaned down to kiss me again, but I stopped him by placing one of my fingers on his lips. "What about Tatsuki? She's your date, right?"

He laughed, that gorgeous, rumbling, familiar laugh I had missed so much. "Tatsuki? She's had her eyes on Renji since the beginning."

And with that, I let him lean in to kiss me again.

Thank you, Renji. Thank you, god.

**_If you got very annoyed with the links like I did..._**

**_THE FULL LINKS TO ALL THE DRESSES IN THIS CHAPTER ARE AVAILABLE ON MY PROFILE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE. JUST SCAN ALL THE WAY DOWN._**

**_TRUST ME, YOU WILL NOT BE HAPPY IF YOU DON'T SEE RUKIA'S DRESS. IT IS FABULOUS._**

**I found Rukia's dress and just fell in love. My favorite color is purple, and that dress is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in my short life. I don't know if you guys felt the same way, but that dress really hit me.**

**I really liked Soi Fon's dress as well. I feel like the simplicity, the skinniness, and the color really suited her character. It's not to fancy, but fancy enough to be noticed. I really picture her as the flat-chested, tomboyish, thin, but still pretty girl who, when she dresses up, doesn't need to do much to be seen as gorgeous. **

**Momo's red dress was the first one I found. I didn't have to search much for short, tight red dresses :P. But I liked Momo's because it wasn't fire engine red- it was a few shades darker and almost added a mature look.**

**Another note: I'm sorry if the Renji/rukia thing was confusing. I tried to model their relationship after the one I have with my best guy friend. if you were confused about something, please tell me! I will do my best to explain my thinking. **


	10. Chapter 85: Reflections

**helllllloooo there readers- this is amazing for me, isn't it? To have another (albeit short) chapter out within a few days of publishing another chapter. Well, enjoy! This is short, just to warn you ahead of time.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. If you don't know that by now...**

**Chapter 8 1/2: Reflections**

Ichigo and I wandered around the garden some more after we kissed. I skimmed my hand that wasn't intertwined with his over some rose bushes and thought about how lucky I was. I had Ichigo now for myself, and I had Momo and Soi Fon behind me one hundred percent on everything as my best friends. Orihime was dealt with at school- I hoped. She hadn't bothered me tonight yet, but that could have been because she was too drunk to care. Hisana had died, but I had become stronger as I recovered from her death. I had more now in my life than I had ever had before.

Maybe I was just getting emotional, seeing as I was HOLDING ICHIGO'S HAND in a rose garden. Those kinds of stereotypical, rom-com worthy romantic scenes always seemed to make me tear up a little. Walking with the guy I had loved for so long could do that to me.

We didn't need to speak. Every once on a while, Ichigo would lean over and press a light kiss against my hair, but that was it. We just focused on the warmth of each other's hands surrounding ours as we lost track of time wandering. He didn't even feel the need to be his normal, obnoxious, chatterbox self, which was in and of itself amazing.

In the silence, I could hear the pounding rhythm of Ichigo's heartbeat, fluctuating in time to my own. My heart felt as if it would burst out of my ribs in my happiness, and from the way Ichigo was grinning a head above me, he could hear it too.

The only thought that marred my feelings of happiness was that Byakuya was still in the hospital, and he was still sick. I frowned. I had gone to visit him a few more times in the past week alone, and he had still, surprisingly, been in the same condition. He was still weak, coughs racking his chest, face paler than normal. He still wasn't back to being Byakuya. At least the doctors had let me see him though.

It really was worrying, seeing my strong older brother in such a state. He had never let an illness get to him like this before. Most of the time, he was too proud to admit he was sick at all.

The silence that surrounded Ichigo and me began to scare me as I continued to think. What if Dr. Unohana was right, that day in the hospital? What if Byakuya still really couldn't be cured? Panic, once again, settled in quickly. I had never panicked like this before Byakuya got sick, not even when Hisana was dying.

Whenever I was in the hospital room with Byakuya while he was asleep, I spent time staring at the heart monitor. Just staring. I thought it was fascinating, scary, and a little sick how my brother's entire life was displayed on some tiny, beeping screen. That monitor always worried me. If my brother died in his sleep, would it show that on the monitor? Would I have to see his heart stop right in front of me?

Now I was frightened again. The amazing kiss I had just had slipped from my mind, to be replaced by the darkness settling in over the garden. Puzzle pieces, connecting my fragile mind together, continued to fall out of place. I was slipping again, thinking of my brother dying. He couldn't die on me.

Maybe it seemed a little overdramatic, but I had already lost Hisana to an illness. I couldn't lose Byakuya too. Byakuya's death would hit me harder than any event in my life before, simply because he was such an irreplaceable, immovable fixture to me. Just the thought of a life without him seemed impossible and far away.

As if he sensed my distress, Ichigo squeezed my hand a little tighter. I gave him a grateful half-smile and turned my face back towards the ground. Ichigo seemed to understand, and kept a tight grip on my hand to keep my thoughts from flying away.

The warmth from his hand and the knowledge that his body was so close to mine finish up the night gave me that spurt of courage to keep walking through the garden doors and back into the dance hall. He helped me up the stairs in my silence and calmly escorted me back onto the floor. The moment we stepped onto the floor together, he looked me in the eyes and asked me, "My lady, could I have the honor of this dance?" He had always known just when to lighten the mood.

Now I was dancing with Ichigo, not with my date, and the thought made me strangely giddy. Within a few seconds after he asked me, we were fast dancing and bouncing to the beat together. He still hadn't let go of my hand.

Renji had found a still-drinking, still gorgeous Tatsuki in the corner and had pulled her away to dance, I caught him wink at me when he found my eyes and saw who I was dancing with. Over Ichigo's shoulder, I gave him a grateful thank-you wave. And then a have-fun wink. Replying with his huge, shit-eating grin, Renji pulled Tatsuki away into the crowd. I watched the two of them be swallowed up by the hordes of people until I could no longer see them.

Leaning my head into Ichigo's shoulder, I could feel my senses clicking into high-alert gear. I could smell every drop of cologne clinging to his tux. I could almost taste his breath lingering in the air as he exhaled. I could see every different shade of orange hidden in the mess of his hair.

Listening again, I could just distinguish the insistent 'thump' of his steady heartbeat over the pounding of the music surrounding us. I moved my head so that my ear was positioned over his heart to catch every move it made. The sound was calming, the thrum of a well-oiled machine doing its job to the fullest.

He felt me smile into his chest, and took a hand off my waist to ruffle my hair slightly. At this point, I didn't care that my hair was perfectly styled at the beginning of the evening.  
My phone rang, interrupting the moment. I just barely heard the annoying ring over the music. Checking the caller ID, I realized it was Yoruichi. "Why would she be calling me at this time? Seems kind of weird."

I pressed the talk button, and heard Yoruichi breathing on the other end of the line. "What. Yoruichi, I'm kind of having the most important night of my life right now." Ichigo jabbed me for being rude. "What?" I whispered. "It's true."

She didn't even playfully insult me back. My blood ran cold and my heart pounded harder with her next words. "Come to the hospital right now. Byakuya wants to see you."

**OOOO cliffy! Short and sweet. **

**This 1/2 chapter idea kinda just popped into my head, cuz I didn't have enough material for a full chapter but wanted to publish this...Meh. I don't really think I needed to explain that. You guys probably already guessed why I chose a 1/2 chapter.**

**I just wanted to tell you guys (AGAIN) how much I love all of you. EVERY PERSON WHO READS OR REVIEWS THIS STORY MAKES ME FEEL SO HAPPY!**

**Anywho, you will probably not see another update for a little while, since I am going back to school and will not have much time for writing. But I will keep jotting down ideas and frantically typing whenever I have a spare moment. I will update the soonest I can. Please wait for me! :P And Thank YOU!**

**Love,**

**sparkleflower**

**P.S. Please review.**


	11. Brothers and Boyfriends

**A/N: Haha. Wow. It's been a while.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.**

**Chapter 9:**

The words rang in my head. "Byakuya wants to see you." Does that not make it sound like he's dying? Gasping his last breath? Why else would Yoruichi call me at this time of night? She knew that tonight was important to me, and she would never interrupt me unless it was urgent. What could possibly be happening to my brother right now? I couldn't breathe anymore. The phone shook in my hands, almost as if it was vibrating itself. Feeling like the phone was about to drop from my twitching hands and shatter on the dance floor, I shoved the thing against my ear to hold it steady.

Ichigo's warm fingers gently unwound the phone from my tight grip. They caressed my hands delicately, and with just a few soft touches I began to calm down enough to let go of the phone. He put the phone up to his ear. "Yoruichi," I heard him say clearly, "what's going on right now?"

She replied, but the phone was too far away for me to hear her words.

Ichigo's face furrowed into a frown. He grabbed my hand and began to pull me away from the dance floor towards the exit. I struggled, confused and more than a little scared, against his hand. "What's going on? Ichigo, where are we going? What's happ-"

He cut me off to say something else to Yoruichi. "Yeah, I'll drive her over. I have my car here. We'll be there in a little while."

Then he turned to me. "Rukia, let's go get my car, okay? We need to run to your house and then drive to visit your brother. He wants you to grab something in the house for him."

That didn't sound as bad as I had feared, but I knew something else was up. "What does he want me to grab? Why couldn't Yoruichi or someone else grab it? Ichigo, what aren't you telling me? Why would Yoruichi call now?"

"Shh. It's gonna be fine. Let's just get to my car and on the way to your house I will explain more, okay? Just calm down a little. Everything will be fine."

His voice was relatively soothing, but a little strained as he dragged me to his car. He flipped the key into the lock, unlocked all the doors, and waited for me to climb into the passenger seat.

Once I was strapped in, he started the engine and pulled out of the parking spot. We were driving about ten miles over the speed limit. As soon as we were about five minutes away from the school, Ichigo began to speak again. "So, Yoruichi said something about Byakuya needing a photograph? Apparently, it's something that only you would know where to find."

A photograph? There were a ton in my apartment. Ones of me when I was little, an album of Byakuya and Hisana's wedding, framed pictures of the three of us taking family vacations or sitting in the park. Holidays, normal days, birthdays, and everything in between was captured in some way or another in photographs around the house. So which one out of many would Byakuya specifically ask for?

I puzzled, incredibly worried, over which photograph I would need to grab as soon as I entered the house. Ichigo noticed that I was deep in thought and didn't speak until we pulled up to the front of my building.

"Rukia, you have just a few minutes. Yoruichi told me to hurry, but she didn't give me any more details. Run into the house and get the photo, then meet me back out here. I'll keep my car right here so you can find me."

I nodded, unable to speak and think at the same time. Pulling open the car door, I jumped out onto the sidewalk and raced into the building, yanking open the front door with my hand past a surprised doorman. I took the stairs two at a time, simultaneously concentrating on deciding what photo my brother wanted. The one of my ninth birthday, displayed over the fireplace? No. The one of him wearing the vampire costume I forced him into many Halloweens ago? Definitely not. The one of Hisana...

Yes! The one in my room of Hisana! That perfect portrait of her that I still looked at every morning. That had to be the one he meant. He could stare at that beautiful photo of my sister for hours and never get tired of it.

I unlocked my door with slightly trembling fingers, and then raced into the living room, the adrenaline giving me an extra rush of energy. I knew which picture it was. I would grab it, bring it to the car, and go see my brother. I would allow for no distractions.

The hallway seemed shorter than ever. I shoved open the door to my room and jumped onto the soft carpet. The picture would be on my bedside table, next to my lamp. It was sitting there innocently in the dark. I flipped on the light switch and suddenly the room was flooded with light from the lamp. My sister's peaceful, beautiful face peered out from the photo, and I nearly cried.

Her black hair, the same as mine, shone with the glossy conditioner she had used the day the picture was taken. Her eyes were crinkled with her small smile, but I could still see their unique violet blue color that Byakuya had been so enamored with. The day the picture was taken, Byakuya and I had surprised Hisana with a special dinner we had cooked the entire day. We all ate together in front of the window overlooking the city, and my sister had ruffled my hair and told me how delicious the food was. I missed her smile so much. When my sister had smiled, even a tiny bit, she had been the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. She had continued smiling the entire time she ate that day.

I picked up the photo, still in its silver frame, and held it delicately, like it was a baby bird. Even if I closed my eyes, I could still see Hisana's smile gleaming out at me. I could understand why Byakuya would want to have this picture, the reason he needed to have it next to him in the hospital. Just this little smile could cheer anyone up and make even the sickest person feel a little better.

Locking the door behind me, I speed walked down the stairs and out of the building, the picture frame nestled in my arms safely. Ichigo was ready when I arrived at the car. He opened the passenger door for me to climb in, and then we were off to the hospital.

I called Yoruichi as soon as Ichigo and I stepped through the revolving doors of the hospital. "C'mon, pick up, pick up," I mumbled to myself as the ever-annoying "calling" sound ran through my ears on my phone. When she finally picked up, I was already breathless from the mumbling.

"Yoruichi! Is Byakuya okay? What's happening! Ichigo didn't tell me anything!"

"Calm down kiddo. Byakuya is gonna be okay. Do you have the picture? He's been asking for you and Hisana for a while now."

He was asking for Hisana? And me?

So hopefully I did bring the right picture.

She continued. "Just come right up, I already told the receptionist that you were coming so there's no need to sign in. You remember how to get to his room, right?"

"Yeah, I'll rush up there now. Does he look alright?"

"He's a little pale, I guess. I'll explain more once you get up here. I don't want you to panic."

Was there something so bad I should seriously be panicking about? Didn't she just tell me everything was fine?

She hung up the phone before I could ask the many questions swirling around in my head. The photo was still cradled in my arms, hugged close to my chest. I sprinted up the stairs, not bothering to wait for the elevator. I knew the elevator would take too long to come down, and I was full of nervous energy.

Panting slightly, I realized I had left Ichigo far behind somewhere. Oh, well. He'd make his way to the room eventually. Maybe he would check in with the receptionist or something for more information.

When I reached my brother's hospital room, I knocked loudly, not caring if I disturbed anyone else. The same tag as last time on the door, identifying the patient in the room, read, 'Kuchiki, Byakuya. Under the care of Dr. Retsu Unohana'. "Yoruichi? Byakuya? Are you in there? Can you open the door? It's Rukia!"

I heard shuffling from behind the door, and some low voices mumbling to each other through the thick wood. I strained to hear what was happening. As I leaned in closer and pressed my ear against the door, it suddenly flew open and I jumped back, surprised. Yoruichi, looking as beautiful as usual in skinny jeans, black combat boots, and a purple jacket, tossed her hair to the side. As she leaned casually against the doorframe, she waved at me. "Rukia, c'mon in. Your brother wants to see you!"

_!_

I followed her hand into the room, my head facing the floor. Yoruichi was acting like nothing was wrong. Did she get me all worried for nothing? My head shot up from the ground when I reached Byakuya's bed. He was sitting with tubes surrounding him still, and some machine measuring every system in his body, but he had a little sparkle to his eyes that hadn't been present the last time I visited. I sighed in relief. His face still looked long, exhausted, and gaunt though, as if he had been through some ferocious battle.

I threw my arms around him, pushing a few tubes to the side. "Byakuya! Are you okay? Yoruichi called me- and I got so worried- and -"

His voice was a little gravelly but sounded almost back to normal. He smiled at me, then turned and gave Yoruichi an accusatory stare and looked a little angry. "Yoruichi Shihoin. Did you make Rukia worry unnecessarily?"

Turning to me and ignoring Yoruichi's frantic head-shakes (my brother is incredibly intimidating when he's angry), he said, "I didn't actually hear what she said on the phone after I asked her to call you, so I have no idea what she actually said." He shook his head in mock sadness. "She probably screwed up again. What are we going to do with her?"

I was so relieved that Byakuya was well enough to make jokes that I had tuned out everything but the sound of his voice.

Yoruichi finally got a word in and brought me back to earth. "I didn't mean to, I swear! I didn't mean to make her worry! I just called her like you asked! And told her you wanted to see her!"

"Well, how did you say it? Was your tone sad or worried?"

I interjected here. "No, her tone was pretty dark and ominous." I imitated what I had heard in the phone call. "'Your brother wants to see you', she said. It was kind of scary, actually."

Yoruichi looked pained. "Rukia, were you really worried?"

"Yes! I thought Byakuya was about to die, and that's why you called!"

"What about the picture?"

"I don't know, he wanted to see my sister one last time before he passed?"

We had begun to ignore Byakuya, and he was just sitting there with a slightly confused, half-sad expression on his face. So I turned back to him. "Big brother, why did you ask me to get the picture of Hisana from the house?"

"Do you have it?"

I had forgotten all about it, but thankfully my arms had kept a protective cradle around the picture that I hadn't even had to think about. I handed it to Byakuya, who stretched his arms across tubes and moniters to take it. He touched Hisana's face gently and whispered something I couldn't hear to the photo. After he had finished staring at her face in something akin to wonder, he hugged the photo to his chest and then handed it back to me. I looked at him in confusion.

"I asked you to bring the photo here so that Hisana could watch over me while I was getting better. I missed seeing her at home everyday, and I wanted to see both you and her visiting me in the hospital. Do you miss her too?"

I knew he wasn't just talking about the photo anymore. "Yeah, all the time. That picture really helps me remember her. But I can just come visit her with you in the hospital until you get better, okay?"

He smiled at me. "Can you put the picture on the table?"

I positioned the picture so that it was facing him at the perfect angle. The sunlight, in the morning, would reflect on Hisana's face beautifully.

_!_

As I walked down the hallway, a little more reassured now that I had seen how well Byakuya looked, I bumped into someone holding a clipboard. As I picked myself up from the cold hospital tiles, rubbing my arm, I looked up and saw a white lab coat. Then a thick black braid tied in the front. Only one person had hair like that.

"Dr. Unohana!" I exclaimed.

Her warm, motherly face just made me feel more at ease. "Hello, Rukia. It's great to see that you're doing better than the last time I saw you."

Remembering my breakdown last time I was around her, when Byakuya was incredibly sick and no one knew if he would get better, I shuddered and pushed all the thoughts away from my mind. "I just saw my brother! I'm so happy that he's doing better. When do you think he'll be able to come home?"

She laughed a little. "Slow down, honey. Your brother still has a ways to go before he's fully recovered, but the surgery we did helped some of the fluid in his lungs drain on its own. So he's recovering pretty steadily now, but he can't move around a ton while the fluid is still draining. But assuming he makes a full recovery, which I'm sure he will, he should be back home in under two weeks."

Two weeks seemed like a long time to me. "Are you sure it's going to take that long?"

"We can't rush these things, Rukia. Don't worry, I'll take very good care of your brother and get him better as fast as I can, okay?"

I nodded to her. "Can I come back to see him tomorrow?"

"Yes, we have him down for painkillers that will make him a little drowsy at"- she checked her clipboard- "about two o'clock. So do you want to come around lunchtime? Say, twelve-ish?"

"I'll be here then, and I'll bring some lunch for Byakuya. I'll see you tomorrow, Doctor. And thank you very much for taking care of my brother!"

She smiled again as I raced by her. "My pleasure, Rukia."

_!_

I had completely forgotten about Ichigo. He had never made it to the hospital room, so I assumed he was still wandering the hallways in frustration. He had never had a good sense of direction, and had probably ended up somewhere three floors up from where he needed to be. I found my way to the elevators, and rode them down to the lobby, half-expecting to see Ichigo pop out from somewhere on my way down. I started to get worried, and, as the doors opened on every floor, I poked my head out and peered down the hallways to see if he was waiting there.

I had no reason to worry though. As I reached the lobby, the first thing I saw was a bright shock of orange hair, attached to a body not facing me. I ran up to the person, tapped his shoulder, and waited for him to turn around. Sure enough, it was Ichigo.

He slid his arm around me and gave me a little smile, as if he was unsure of how he should talk to me at the moment. To him, I could either be extremely sad (if Byakuya was dying at the moment) or extremely happy (if my fears that Byakuya was dying were unfounded). I gave him a huge smile in return, so he would know that everything was alright and that I was happy. Seeing the relieved and excited expression on my face, Ichigo pulled me a little closer to him and squeezed my shoulder gently. "So, it went okay? You look happy, so Byakuya must be fine."

"He's great! Dr. Unohana said he should be able to come home in about two weeks, once he recovers fully."

"So you had nothing to worry about after all."

I looked at him a little sheepishly, embarrassed of the way I had been so scared driving to the hospital. He broke into a light laugh. "Rukia, I'm just kidding. I was really nervous driving here too, thinking that something bad had happened. You had every reason to freak out beforehand. So why did Byakuya need the picture?"

"He wanted Hisana to watch over him getting better. It's really sweet."

He began to pull me towards the exit. I looked at him. "Are you taking me home now? It is kind of late."

"Well," he replied, "I'm pretty sure the dance is over by now- we've been in here for a few hours. And I'm really tired and I bet you are too, so I thought we could just hang out at your house for a little while. Do what we used to do- you know, Ichigo and Rukia Movie Night or something."

"It wouldn't be quite the same though."

"Why's that?"

I got bold for a second. "I really like you. You've said you like me. We've kissed. And we are kind of together now, I think?"

"So," he said sweetly, brushing a lock of hair away from my forehead and pressing his lips to the skin, "do you want tonight's movie night to count as our first official date?"

HELL YEAH! I said to myself, almost too happy to even think. But out loud and with a controlled expression, I just replied with a simple, "I thought that was obvious."

My hands were sweating a little with nerves as he took one and lead me out the doors of the hospital. His grip was warm and steady. His hair glowed with the dim streelights, and he looked really attractive in the tux he never changed out of after the dance. So I just deleted everything else from my brain and thought only about how tonight by new sort-of boyfriend and definite best friend would be watching movies with me in my house. On our first official date. The thought made me really happy.

Byakuya was okay and coming home soon, I had great friends, and now I even had a boyfriend who I really loved. What could make this better? As far as I could tell, with Ichigo now swinging our joined hands, nothing could make this any better than it already was.

_!_

**Wow. It's done.**

**Months later, I finally finish this story. Thank you to everyone who didn't give up on me, when I went long periods of time without posting anything, I'm so happy that so many people took time to read, favorite, and even review this story. Thank you so much for your support and encouragement! I love you all. :)**

**I will definitely be writing more stories, so please watch for them! I am currently working on a Naruto AU SasuSaku fic that I will post as soon as I am satisfied with it.**

**Once again, thank you! Everyone who ever read this story gets free cookies from me! Have a safe and happy holiday season. It's the most wonderful time of the year guys!**

**Love,**

**sparkleflower**


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